Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play As Time Goes By on piano
By Nilsson
- C major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- 1931
- Medium
Learn As Time Goes By in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – G7 – Gm – G7
As Time Goes By sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiG7V7GmvG7V7- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 95 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about As Time Goes By
What chords are in As Time Goes By?
The loop is Dm – G7 – Gm – G7 (ii – V7 – v – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is As Time Goes By in?
C major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in As Time Goes By?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is As Time Goes By easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 6 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.