Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play This Is Not An Exit on piano
By Duncan Sheik
- C minor
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- 2016
- Easy
Learn This Is Not An Exit in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Ab – Bb – F
This Is Not An Exit sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmvAbVIBbVIIFIV- GmG · Bb · D
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 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.
- 4
Both hands at 60 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about This Is Not An Exit
What chords are in This Is Not An Exit?
The loop is Gm – Ab – Bb – F (v – bVI – bVII – IV) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is This Is Not An Exit in?
C minor, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in This Is Not An Exit?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is This Is Not An Exit 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.