Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Only Lonely on piano
By Bon Jovi
- C minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- Easy
Learn Only Lonely in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Bb – Fm – Cm
Only Lonely sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiBbVIIFmivCmi- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about Only Lonely
What chords are in Only Lonely?
The loop is Cm – Bb – Fm – Cm (i – bVII – iv – i) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Only Lonely in?
C minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Only Lonely?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Only Lonely 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.