Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play Can't Hold Out Much Longer on piano
By Eric Clapton
- G major
- 12/8
- 93 BPM
- IV7–I7–V7–IV7 loop
- 1970
- Medium
Learn Can't Hold Out Much Longer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – G7 – D7 – C7
Can't Hold Out Much Longer sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; G7 is G, B, D and F; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7IV7G7I7D7V7C7IV7- C7C · E · G · Bb
- G7G · B · D · F
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Doo-wop chords
Three soft chords on every slow beat: the classic 1950s ballad sound. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 93 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Can't Hold Out Much Longer
What chords are in Can't Hold Out Much Longer?
The loop is C7 – G7 – D7 – C7 (IV7 – I7 – V7 – IV7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Can't Hold Out Much Longer in?
G major, at about 93 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Can't Hold Out Much Longer?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Can't Hold Out Much Longer 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.