Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s

How to play Forever on piano

By Mariah Carey

  • Ab major
  • 12/8
  • 95 BPM
  • 1995
  • Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Slow-dance heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords from the chord symbols in the score

Learn Forever in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

  1. 1

    Chords: Ab – Fm – Db – Dbm – Ab – Fm – Db – Dbm

    Forever sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab; Dbm is Db, Fb and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    AbIFmviDbIVDbmivAbIFmviDbIVDbmiv
    • AbAb · C · Eb
    • FmF · Ab · C
    • DbDb · F · Ab
    • DbmDb · Fb · Ab
  2. 2

    Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat

    Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.

    Slow-dance heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · 50s doo-wopLeft handEasy
  3. 3

    Right hand: the chords, held

    In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 95 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. 5

    Ending: Db – Eb – Ab

    The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    DbEbAb
    • EbEb · G · Bb

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Questions about Forever

What chords are in Forever?

The loop is Ab – Fm – Db – Dbm – Ab – Fm – Db – Dbm (I – vi – IV – iv – I – vi – IV – iv) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.

What key is Forever in?

Ab major, at about 95 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Forever?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Forever easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Forever?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.