AttacheA major · 4/4
Someone Like You
Adele
Repeated arpeggiated patterns, even subdivisions, wrist relaxation, chord transitions.
Why this piece
A recognizable piano figure repeats for much of the song, so small differences in timing, attack, or tension become obvious. It teaches an essential accompaniment skill: the ability to sustain a pattern automatically while remaining musically expressive.
Musical profile
- Key / tonal centre: A major
- Meter: 4/4
- Suggested version: The characteristic piano pattern with simplified hand distribution if necessary.
Representative harmony
Recognizable intro/verse: A – C#m/G# – F#m – D (I–iii⁶₄–vi–IV, with iii in second inversion); later sections use E as well.
Practice loop
What to listen for
The bass descends A–G♯–F♯ while the broken-chord figure remains consistent. A plain A–E–F#m–D loop is a simplification, not the exact intro.
What to learn
Practice the broken-chord shape slowly enough that every note has a similar duration and sound. Move between harmonies without restarting the rhythmic pattern. Use relaxed hand movement rather than trying to reach every note with isolated finger stretching. Once stable, vary the dynamics across phrases instead of giving each repeated pattern exactly the same weight.
Practice checkpoint
Play the accompaniment over a full verse at a comfortable tempo with no rhythmic interruptions during chord changes.
Diagnostic drill · E05 — Broken chords with a descending bass
Target: Even eighth notes over moving harmony.
Drill key / meter: A major · 4/4
Use this only when it addresses the current bottleneck. Skip it when the skill is already ready.
Steps
- LH plays one sustained bass note per bar:
A2 | G♯2 | F♯2 | D2. - RH plays eight eighth notes in each bar (repeat each four-note shape twice):
A–C♯–E–C♯ | C♯–E–G♯–E | F♯–A–C♯–A | D–F♯–A–F♯. - Practice the hand changes at the ends of bars in isolation: last two eighths → next two eighths. This is often where the tempo hesitates.
Ear task: Hum the LH descending A–G♯–F♯ before playing.
Transfer: Apply evenness and relaxed hand movement to the opening piano pattern.
Drill checkpoint: Four repeated cycles with uniform subdivisions and no hand tension; quality matters more than speed.