Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Only Yesterday on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Only Yesterday in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
Only Yesterday sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiBb7V7EbI
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
169 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Push and land
How it goes
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Push and landRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Sprint-and-stop chords
How it goes
Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Sprint-and-stop chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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 – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBbEb
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Only Yesterday?

The loop is Eb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb (I – ii – V7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb – Eb.

What key is Only Yesterday in?

Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Only Yesterday?

Push and land: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Only Yesterday 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.