What key is "Once Upon A Time" in?

"Once Upon A Time" by Charles Strouse is in the key of C with a tempo of 68 BPM. Difficulty: easy.

Is "Once Upon A Time" easy to play on piano?

Yes — this arrangement is rated easy, meaning it uses simple chord patterns and a manageable tempo. Most beginners can play through it in 1-3 practice sessions using our color-coded notes.

Can I play "Once Upon A Time" without reading sheet music?

Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.

How long does it take to learn "Once Upon A Time" on piano?

1–3 short practice sessions for the basics; 2–3 weeks to perform confidently with both hands.

What other songs by Charles Strouse can I play here?

Try "YOU'RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE", "I THINK I'M GONNA LIKE IT HERE", "MAYBE". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

Lyrics

(C)Once up on a (Cmaj7)time

a (C)girl with (Am)moon light in her eyes

(F)put her hand in (C)mine

and said she loved me (Fmaj7)so.

But (F)that (G7)was (Am)once up on a time,

ver y long a (C)go.

(Cmaj7)Once up on a hill

we (C)sat be (Am)neath a wil low tree,

(F)count ing all the (C)stars

and wait ing for the (Fmaj7)dawn.

But (F)that (G#dim7)was (Am)once up on a time.

Now the tree is (Cmaj7)gone.

(Dm7)How (G7)the (Cmaj7)beeeze

(Dm7)ruf fled (G7)through her (Cmaj7)hair,

(Bm7)how we (E7)al ways (Am)laughed as (Am7)though to (G7)mor row was n’t there.

We were (C)young and (G7)did n’t have a (C)care.

Where

did it (G7)go?

(Cmaj7)Once up on a time

the (C)world was (Am)sweet er than we knew.

(F)Ev ’ry thing was (C)ours,

how hap py we were (F)then.

But (F)some (G#dim7)how (Am)once up on a time

(G7sus)nev er (G7)comes a (C)gain.

(C)Once up on a (Cmaj7)time

it (C)seemed the (Am)world was paint ed gold.

(F)And there was a (C)man,

and oh, I loved him (Fmaj7)so.

The (F)world (G7)was (Am)beau ti ful to see

ver y long a (C)go.

(Cmaj7)On a night like this

we (C)saw the (Am)ris ing of the moon.

(F)All the sil ver (C)stars

like neck lac es were (Fmaj7)strung.

We (F)spoke (G#dim7)of (Am)such im por tant things.

We were ver y (Cmaj7)young.

(Dm7)O (G7)pen (Cmaj7)hearts,

(Dm7)noth ing (G7)to con (Cmaj7)ceal;

(Bm7)ev ’ry (E7)lit tle (Am)thought was (Am7)so ex (G7)cit ing to re veal.

All our (C)dreams we (G7)knew would soon be (C)real.

Where

did they (G7)go?

(Cmaj7)Once up on a time

the (C)world was (Am)sweet er than we knew.

(F)Ev ’ry thing was (C)ours,

how hap py we were (F)then.

But (F)some (G#dim7)how (Am)once up on a time

(G7sus)nev er (G7)comes a (C)gain.

Once Upon A Time by Charles Strouse

7 people have learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of C at 68 BPM. Difficulty: easy. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

Learn how to accompany it· the chords and what each hand plays, on Super Simple Chords ↗

About “Once Upon A Time”

What key is "Once Upon A Time" in?: "Once Upon A Time" by Charles Strouse is in the key of C with a tempo of 68 BPM. Difficulty: easy.
Is "Once Upon A Time" easy to play on piano?: Yes — this arrangement is rated easy, meaning it uses simple chord patterns and a manageable tempo. Most beginners can play through it in 1-3 practice sessions using our color-coded notes.
Can I play "Once Upon A Time" without reading sheet music?: Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
How long does it take to learn "Once Upon A Time" on piano?: 1–3 short practice sessions for the basics; 2–3 weeks to perform confidently with both hands.
What other songs by Charles Strouse can I play here?: Try "YOU'RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE", "I THINK I'M GONNA LIKE IT HERE", "MAYBE". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.