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Play There But For Fortune on your own piano
Plug in your piano by USB or Bluetooth. The song waits for you until you hit the right notes. Slow it down, loop any bars, play one hand at a time.
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There But For Fortune — Easy Piano Notes for Beginners
About “There But For Fortune”
Learn "There But For Fortune" on piano with easy notes — perfect for absolute beginners. Large color-coded note names show exactly which keys to press. No music reading required. Key of G, 140 BPM.
9 people have learned this song
Lyrics
Show me a (Cm)pris on,
that the show me a (Cm)jail.
Show me a (Em)pris on man whose he (Am)face is grow ing (D)pale.
And (Em)I’ll show you a young man with (C)man y rea sons (Am)why,
and (Bm)there
but for (G)for tune may (Am)go you or (D)I.
Show me an (Cm)al ley,
where the show me a (Cm)train.
Show me a (Em)ho bo who as he (Am)sleeps out in the (D)rain.
And (Em)I’ll show you a young land with (C)man y rea sons (Am)why,
and (Bm)there
but for (G)for tune may (Am)go you or (D)I.
(D)I,
or (G)I.
Practice tip
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Questions about this song (9)
- Can I play "There But For Fortune" without reading sheet music?
- Yes — Easy Notes mode prints the letter name (C, D, E…) directly on each note in big color-coded labels, so you can match colors to your keyboard without any traditional notation. The whole arrangement of "There But For Fortune" is playable in minutes, even for first-time players.
- What key is "There But For Fortune" by Phil Ochs played in?
- There But For Fortune is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "There But For Fortune"?
- The arrangement plays at 140 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "There But For Fortune" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "There But For Fortune"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "There But For Fortune"?
- "There But For Fortune" was originally performed by Phil Ochs. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "There But For Fortune"?
- This arrangement uses 7 chords: Am, Bm, C, Cm, D, Em, G.
- Can a complete beginner play "There But For Fortune"?
- Absolutely! The Beginner mode shows large color-coded notes with letter names (C, D, E...). Just match the colors to your keyboard — no music reading needed. "There But For Fortune" is perfect for first-time players.
- Do I need to read music to play "There But For Fortune"?
- No! Our Beginner mode replaces traditional notation with color-coded letter names. Each note shows exactly which key to press. You can start playing "There But For Fortune" in minutes, even if you've never touched a piano before.
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