Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Forever on piano
By Chris Tomlin
- A major
- 4/4
- 144 BPM
- 2000
- Medium
Learn Forever in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – Esus4 – Dsus4 – A
Forever sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; Esus4 is E, A and B; Dsus4 is D, G and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#mviEsus4Vsus4Dsus4IVsus4AI- F#mF# · A · C#
- Esus4E · A · B
- Dsus4D · G · A
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 144 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
Play next
Questions about Forever
What chords are in Forever?
The loop is F#m – Esus4 – Dsus4 – A (vi – Vsus – IVsus – I) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Forever in?
A major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Forever?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Forever 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 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.