Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Once In A While on piano
By Michael Edwards
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- I–ii–I–ii loop
- 1937
- Medium
Learn Once In A While in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Eb – Fm
Once In A While sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiEbIFmii- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Once In A While
What chords are in Once In A While?
The loop is Eb – Fm – Eb – Fm (I – ii – I – ii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Once In A While in?
Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Once In A While?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Once In A While 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.