I Can’t Stop Loving You Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn I Can’t Stop Loving You in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: F7 – Bb – Bb – F
I Can’t Stop Loving You sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; 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.
F7I7BbIVBbIVFI
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
72 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Bossa seesaw
Low-low, high-high in a laid-back Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 428 songs of the library.
Bossa seesawRoot–fifth bass · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 80 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: F – Bb – F
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FBbF

What chords are in I Can’t Stop Loving You?

The loop is F7 – Bb – Bb – F (I7 – IV – I – I7) in F major, and the song ends on F – Bb – F.

What key is I Can’t Stop Loving You in?

F major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in I Can’t Stop Loving You?

Bossa seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is I Can’t Stop Loving You 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 Stop Loving You?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.