Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Don’t Leave Me This Way on piano
Written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff & others
- C minor
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- I–bVII–IV–I loop
- 1975
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Don’t Leave Me This Way in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Bb – F – C
How it goes
Don’t Leave Me This Way sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIBbVIIFIVCI- CC · E · G
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Groovy roots
How it goes
Notes jump around the “ands”, giving the bass a funky bounce. Musicians call it root bass · syncopated 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 363 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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: Bb – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbFC
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Questions about Don’t Leave Me This Way
What chords are in Don’t Leave Me This Way?
The loop is C – Bb – F – C (I – bVII – IV – I) in C minor, and the song ends on Bb – F – C.
What key is Don’t Leave Me This Way in?
C minor, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don’t Leave Me This Way?
Groovy roots: root bass · syncopated 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don’t Leave Me This Way 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.