Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play The Only Exception on piano
By Glee Cast
- C major
- 6/8
- 70 BPM
- 2009
- Medium
Learn The Only Exception in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – Gm – F
The Only Exception sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIGmvFIV- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tug-of-war chords
Four even chords stretched across a rocking bar: a gentle push and pull. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 70 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: Bb – F – C
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbFC- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about The Only Exception
What chords are in The Only Exception?
The loop is F – C – Gm – F (IV – I – v – IV) in C major, and the song ends on Bb – F – C.
What key is The Only Exception in?
C major, at about 70 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in The Only Exception?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Only Exception 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.