Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Never Say Never on piano
Written by Joseph King, Isaac Slade & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 2008
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Never Say Never in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Cm7 – Fm – Db
How it goes
Never Say Never sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbICm7iii7FmviDbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
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: Twinkle
How it goes
Two notes twinkling back and forth. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
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 Never Say Never
What chords are in Never Say Never?
The loop is Ab – Cm7 – Fm – Db (I – iii7 – vi – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Never Say Never in?
Ab major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Never Say Never?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Never Say Never 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Never Say Never?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.