Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play First on piano
By Lindsay Lohan
- A major
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- I7–IV7–I7–IV7 loop
- 2004
- Medium
Learn First in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A7 – D7 – A7 – D7
First sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7I7D7IV7A7I7D7IV7- A7A · C# · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 126 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: G – D – A
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GDA- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about First
What chords are in First?
The loop is A7 – D7 – A7 – D7 (I7 – IV7 – I7 – IV7) in A major, and the song ends on G – D – A.
What key is First in?
A major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in First?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is First easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.