Can't Buy Me Love Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Can't Buy Me Love in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: F7 – C7 – G7 – F7
How it goes
Can't Buy Me Love sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7IV7C7I7G7V7F7IV7
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- G7G · B · D · F
15 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Happy wiggle
How it goes
Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-6-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 165 songs of the library.
Happy wiggleBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 BPM
How it goes
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
How it goes
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

What chords are in Can't Buy Me Love?

The loop is F7 – C7 – G7 – F7 (IV7 – I7 – V7 – IV7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Can't Buy Me Love in?

C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Can't Buy Me Love?

Happy wiggle: broken chord 1-5-6-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Can't Buy Me Love easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.