Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play One on piano
- C major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- I–vi–IV–I loop
- Medium
Learn One in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Am – F – C
One sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIAmviFIVCI- CC · E · G
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Hammering bass
The same note hammered on every quick beat, dipping only at the end. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8 (broken chord), a medium pattern heard in 280 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Am – F – C
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmFC
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Questions about One
What chords are in One?
The loop is C – Am – F – C (I – vi – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on Am – F – C.
What key is One in?
C major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in One?
Hammering bass: broken chord 8-8, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is One 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.