Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play One Bright Star on piano
Written by John Jarvis
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–V–I–V loop
- 1985
- Medium
Learn One Bright Star in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – D – G – D
One Bright Star sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIDVGIDV- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Rising tide
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: Late-knock chords
One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about One Bright Star
What chords are in One Bright Star?
The loop is G – D – G – D (I – V – I – V) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is One Bright Star in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in One Bright Star?
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 One Bright Star 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.