The Way We Were Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn The Way We Were in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – D – E7 – A
The Way We Were sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIDIVE7V7AI
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- E7E · G# · B · D
100 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
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: A – D – A
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ADA

What chords are in The Way We Were?

The loop is A – D – E7 – A (I – IV – V7 – I) in A major, and the song ends on A – D – A.

What key is The Way We Were in?

A major, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in The Way We Were?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Way We Were 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.