Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Someone I Used To Know on piano
- A major
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- vi–V–IV–I loop
- 2018
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Someone I Used To Know in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – E – D – A
How it goes
Someone I Used To Know sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#mviEVDIVAI- F#mF# · A · C#
- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
How it goes
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cartwheel chords
How it goes
Five evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about Someone I Used To Know
What chords are in Someone I Used To Know?
The loop is F#m – E – D – A (vi – V – IV – I) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Someone I Used To Know in?
A major, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Someone I Used To Know?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Someone I Used To Know 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.