Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I Can’t Help Myself on piano
Written by Grant Cunningham & Matt Huesmann
- A major
- 4/4
- 122 BPM
- 2003
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Can’t Help Myself in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – F#m – D – E
How it goes
I Can’t Help Myself sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIF#mviDIVEV- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
How it goes
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 122 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about I Can’t Help Myself
What chords are in I Can’t Help Myself?
The loop is A – F#m – D – E (I – vi – IV – V) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is I Can’t Help Myself in?
A major, at about 122 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Can’t Help Myself?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Can’t Help Myself easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of I Can’t Help Myself?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.