Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye on piano
By Cole Porter
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1944
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm7 – Bbsus4 – Bb7 – Eb – Fm7 – Gb – Fb7 – Ebmaj7 – Eb – Eb7
How it goes
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 10 chords: Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Bbsus4 is Bb, Eb and F; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Fb7 is Fb, Ab, Cb and Ebb; Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Fm7ii7Bbsus4Vsus4Bb7V7EbIFm7ii7GbbIIIFb7bII7Ebmaj7Imaj7EbIEb7I7- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- Bbsus4Bb · Eb · F
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- Fb7Fb · Ab · Cb · Ebb
- Ebmaj7Eb · G · Bb · D
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
How it goes
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmBb7Eb- FmF · Ab · C
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Questions about Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
What chords are in Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye?
The loop is Fm7 – Bbsus4 – Bb7 – Eb – Fm7 – Gb – Fb7 – Ebmaj7 – Eb – Eb7 (ii7 – Vsus4 – V7 – I – ii7 – bIII – bII7 – Imaj7 – I – I7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 10 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.