Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The One That Got Away on piano
Written by Joy Williams, John Paul White & others
- D minor
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The One That Got Away in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – F – Dm – F
How it goes
The One That Got Away sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; F is F, A and C; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmivFIIIDmiFIII- GmG · Bb · D
- FF · A · C
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
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: Candle flicker
How it goes
Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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: Bb – C – Dm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about The One That Got Away
What chords are in The One That Got Away?
The loop is Gm – F – Dm – F (iv – bIII – i – bIII) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is The One That Got Away in?
D minor, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The One That Got Away?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The One That Got Away 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.