Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Once Upon Another Time on piano
- E major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Once Upon Another Time in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – F#m – E – E
How it goes
Once Upon Another Time sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIF#miiEIEI- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Rising tide
How it goes
Five notes roll up wide and high, then hold: a tide coming in. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 187 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. 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: E – F#m – E
How it goes
The last chords are I – ii – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EF#mE
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Questions about Once Upon Another Time
What chords are in Once Upon Another Time?
The loop is E – F#m – E – E (I – ii – I – ii) in E major, and the song ends on E – F#m – E.
What key is Once Upon Another Time in?
E major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Once Upon Another Time?
Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Once Upon Another Time 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 Once Upon Another Time?
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.