Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play The Very Next Thing on piano
Written by Matthew West, John Mark Hall & others
- F major
- 4/4
- 78 BPM
- 2016
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Very Next Thing in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Csus4 – Bbsus4 – F
How it goes
The Very Next Thing sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Csus4 is C, F and G; Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviCsus4Vsus4Bbsus4IVsus4FI- DmD · F · A
- Csus4C · F · G
- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Hummingbird shiver
How it goes
Two notes trembling super fast: a shiver of excitement. Musicians call it two-note tremolo (tremolo), a tricky pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 78 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 – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about The Very Next Thing
What chords are in The Very Next Thing?
The loop is Dm – Csus4 – Bbsus4 – F (vi – Vsus – IVsus – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is The Very Next Thing in?
F major, at about 78 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Very Next Thing?
Hummingbird shiver: two-note tremolo, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Very Next Thing easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky 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.