Want the piano chords to “Someone Like You” and a helpful tutorial on how to play this iconic pop song? You’ve come to the right place!
We all need a power ballad at some point in our lives. And few people do power ballads better than Adele. “Someone Like You” was a huge hit for Adele Atkins, topping the charts in the U.K., U.S., Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Whether it’s mulling over your regrets or reminding yourself that there are good days and love ahead, this is a great song for releasing your feelings. It’s also fairly easy for beginners because it follows a common pop music progression. To get started, download the free lead sheet we’ve provided with the piano chords to “Someone Like You.”
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Before we get our hands on that iconic riff, it helps to know the main chords of this song. Chords are the foundation to every song, after all.
The verse consists of these chords, pictures here in root position:
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And here are the pre-chorus chords in root position:
Esus2 can also be played as Eadd9, and F#m may be substituted with F#m7 for extra variety.
Finally, here are the chorus chords in root position:
A Dmaj7 chord also appears in the lead sheet at measure 42. The notes in this chord are D-F#-A-C#.
Let’s not forget the bridge! The same handful of chords appear here with some alterations. For example, we briefly get a Bm chord. That’s B-D-F#.
There are also some slash chords. These chord symbols just mean you play the note to the right of the slash with your left hand in the bass.
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The opening riff is what makes this song so iconic. If you sit down and play it, everyone will know instantly what song you’re playing.
And here’s the best part—the riff is just the chords you’ve already learned, played in a broken pattern in slightly different shapes:
A – Root Position
C#m – 2nd Inversion
F#m – Root-Fifth-Root
D – 2nd Inversion
This broken pattern is true for all the chords. It’s bottom – middle – top – middle.
And that’s basically it for this song! The right hand pairs well with octaves in the left or, if you prefer, fifths.
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Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for more than 20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. Learn more about Lisa.
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