Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Then on piano
By Brad Paisley
- C major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 2009
- Medium
Learn Then in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gsus4 – Am – Fsus4 – C
Then sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gsus4 is G, C and D; Am is A, C and E; Fsus4 is F, Bb and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Gsus4Vsus4AmviFsus4IVsus4CI- Gsus4G · C · D
- AmA · C · E
- Fsus4F · Bb · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Rock hop
Low, high, a quick double, then high again: a hopping rock bass. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 809 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
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 76 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Then
What chords are in Then?
The loop is Gsus4 – Am – Fsus4 – C (Vsus – vi – IVsus – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Then in?
C major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Then?
Rock hop: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Then 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.