Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Right Here Waiting on piano
By Richard Marx
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1989
- Easy
Learn Right Here Waiting in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – Am – F – G
Right Here Waiting sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVAmviFIVGV- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Gsus4 – G – C
The last chords are Vsus – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
Gsus4GC- Gsus4G · C · D
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Questions about Right Here Waiting
What chords are in Right Here Waiting?
The loop is C – G – Am – F – G (I – V – vi – IV – V) in C major, and the song ends on Gsus4 – G – C.
What key is Right Here Waiting in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Right Here Waiting?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Right Here Waiting easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Right Here Waiting?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.