Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Somewhere Only We Know on piano
By Keane
- A major
- 4/4
- 87 BPM
- 2004
- Medium
Learn Somewhere Only We Know in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – C#m – D – D – E7
Somewhere Only We Know sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; C#m is C#, E and G#; D is D, F# and A; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#mviC#miiiDIVDIVE7V7- F#mF# · A · C#
- C#mC# · E · G#
- DD · F# · A
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 87 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: E – D – A
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EDA- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Somewhere Only We Know
What chords are in Somewhere Only We Know?
The loop is F#m – C#m – D – D – E7 (vi – iii – IV – V7 – vi) in A major, and the song ends on E – D – A.
What key is Somewhere Only We Know in?
A major, at about 87 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Somewhere Only We Know?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Somewhere Only We Know easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Somewhere Only We Know?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.