Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play I Hear You Knocking on piano
Written by Dave Bartholomew & Pearl King
- C major
- 4/4
- 112 BPM
- 1955
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Hear You Knocking in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – C7 – F7
How it goes
I Hear You Knocking sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIC7I7F7IV7- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 112 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: C – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C
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Questions about I Hear You Knocking
What chords are in I Hear You Knocking?
The loop is G7 – C – C7 – F7 (V7 – I – I7 – IV7) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is I Hear You Knocking in?
C major, at about 112 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Hear You Knocking?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Hear You Knocking 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.