Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play It Only Takes A Moment on piano
By Jerry Herman
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1963
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn It Only Takes A Moment in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbmaj7 – Gm7 – Cm7 – F7 – Bbmaj7 – Gm7 – Cm7 – F7
How it goes
It Only Takes A Moment sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Bbmaj7 is Bb, D, F and A; Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Bbmaj7Imaj7Gm7vi7Cm7ii7F7V7Bbmaj7Imaj7Gm7vi7Cm7ii7F7V7- Bbmaj7Bb · D · F · A
- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
How it goes
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: Cm – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmF7Bb- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about It Only Takes A Moment
What chords are in It Only Takes A Moment?
The loop is Bbmaj7 – Gm7 – Cm7 – F7 – Bbmaj7 – Gm7 – Cm7 – F7 (Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.
What key is It Only Takes A Moment in?
Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in It Only Takes A Moment?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It Only Takes A Moment 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 It Only Takes A Moment?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.