Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play There But For Fortune on piano
Written by Phil Ochs
- G major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- I–iv–I–iv loop
- 1963
- Easy
Learn There But For Fortune in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Cm – G – Cm
There But For Fortune sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICmivGICmiv- GG · B · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Gentle rocking
Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 696 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: Am – D – G
The last chords are ii – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmDG- AmA · C · E
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about There But For Fortune
What chords are in There But For Fortune?
The loop is G – Cm – G – Cm (I – iv – I – iv) in G major, and the song ends on Am – D – G.
What key is There But For Fortune in?
G major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in There But For Fortune?
Gentle rocking: broken chord 1-5-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is There But For Fortune 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.