Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The Very Thought Of You on piano
By Ray Noble
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1934
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Very Thought Of You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Fm7 – Ab – Bbm7 – Fb7 – Fm7
How it goes
The Very Thought Of You sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bbm7 is Bb, Db, F and Ab; Fb7 is Fb, Ab, Cb and Ebb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviFm7vi7AbIBbm7ii7Fb7bVI7Fm7vi7- FmF · Ab · C
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bbm7Bb · Db · F · Ab
- Fb7Fb · Ab · Cb · Ebb
- 2
Left hand: Happy wiggle
How it goes
Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-6-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 165 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Bbm – Eb7 – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbmEb7Ab- BbmBb · Db · F
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
Play next
Questions about The Very Thought Of You
What chords are in The Very Thought Of You?
The loop is Fm – Fm7 – Ab – Bbm7 – Fb7 – Fm7 (vi – vi7 – I – ii7 – bVI7 – vi7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Bbm – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is The Very Thought Of You in?
Ab major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Very Thought Of You?
Happy wiggle: broken chord 1-5-6-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Very Thought Of You easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of The Very Thought Of You?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.