Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play How Long Has This Been Going On? on piano
- G major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1927
- Medium
Learn How Long Has This Been Going On? in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F7 – C – F7
How Long Has This Been Going On? sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVF7bVII7CIVF7bVII7- CC · E · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Open sky
Root, fifth, then a high third: open and airy, the sound of a big sky. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 918 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
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 85 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- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about How Long Has This Been Going On?
What chords are in How Long Has This Been Going On??
The loop is C – F7 – C – F7 (IV – bVII7 – IV – bVII7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is How Long Has This Been Going On? in?
G major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in How Long Has This Been Going On??
Open sky: open arpeggio 1-5-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is How Long Has This Been Going On? 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.