Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play One Or The Other on piano
Written by Paula Abdul, Curtis Williams & others
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 128 BPM
- 1988
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn One Or The Other in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Gm – C – Gm
How it goes
One Or The Other sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIIGmviCIIGmvi- CC · E · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tiptoe chords
How it goes
One firm chord, then three tiptoe chords between the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 128 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
Questions about One Or The Other
What chords are in One Or The Other?
The loop is C – Gm – C – Gm (II – vi – II – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is One Or The Other in?
Bb major, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in One Or The Other?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is One Or The Other easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.