Only Hope Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Only Hope in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Ab – Bb – Cm – Bb
Only Hope sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIVBbVCmviBbV
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
34 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
Cradle pulseRoot bass rhythm · LullabyLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Cradle chords
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Cradle chordsSyncopated chords · LullabyRight handEasy
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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb
- EbEb · G · Bb

What chords are in Only Hope?

The loop is Ab – Bb – Cm – Bb (IV – V – vi – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Only Hope in?

Eb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 6/8.

What does the left hand play in Only Hope?

Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Only Hope 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.