Piano chords · Bossa beach
The First Time: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by U2
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1993
- Medium
The First Time written out as piano music: the I – IV – I – IV loop in Eb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop seesaw (root–fifth 1-1-5) and the right hand gear-shift chords.
The First Time chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Eb major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 2 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 3 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 4 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: pop seesaw (root–fifth 1-1-5) in the left hand and gear-shift chords in the right, over the Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about The First Time
Does the sheet music for The First Time have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in The First Time?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab (I – IV – I – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab – Eb.
What key is The First Time in?
Eb major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The First Time?
Pop seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The First Time easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.