Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Holding On To You on piano
- B major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- Medium
Learn Holding On To You in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G# – F#sus4 – E – Bsus4
Holding On To You sits in B major: B is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G# is G#, B# and D#; F#sus4 is F#, B and C#; E is E, G# and B; Bsus4 is B, E and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G#VIF#sus4Vsus4EIVBsus4Isus4- G#G# · B# · D#
- F#sus4F# · B · C#
- EE · G# · B
- Bsus4B · E · F#
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 92 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: E – F# – B
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EF#B- F#F# · A# · C#
- BB · D# · F#
Play next
Questions about Holding On To You
What chords are in Holding On To You?
The loop is G# – F#sus4 – E – Bsus4 (VI – Vsus – IV – Isus) in B major, and the song ends on E – F# – B.
What key is Holding On To You in?
B major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Holding On To You?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Holding On To You 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.