The Only One Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn The Only One in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Db – Gb – Ebm – Db
The Only One sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIGbIVEbmiiDbI
- DbDb · F · Ab
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
25 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
Slow-dance heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · 50s doo-wopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Slow-dance chords
Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Slow-dance chordsSyncopated chords · 50s doo-wopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 156 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: Gb – Ab – Db
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb
- AbAb · C · Eb

What chords are in The Only One?

The loop is Db – Gb – Ebm – Db (I – IV – ii – I) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.

What key is The Only One in?

Db major, at about 156 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in The Only One?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Only One 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.