Piano chords · Rock drive
The Only Way I Know: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by David Lee Murphy & Ben Hayslip
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- vi–II–vi–II loop
- 2012
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
The Only Way I Know written out as piano music: the vi – II – vi – II loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths) and the right hand ticking clock.
The Only Way I Know chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C 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 | Am | vi | A C E |
| 2 | D | II | D F# A |
| 3 | Am | vi | A C E |
| 4 | D | II | D F# A |
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: engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths) in the left hand and ticking clock in the right, over the Am – D – Am – D 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 Only Way I Know
Does the sheet music for The Only Way I Know 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 Only Way I Know?
The loop is Am – D – Am – D (vi – II – vi – II) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is The Only Way I Know in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Only Way I Know?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Only Way I Know 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.