The Longest Time Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn The Longest Time in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Eb – Gm – Cm7 – Bb – Ab – Eb
The Longest Time sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIGmiiiCm7vi7BbVAbIVEbI
- EbEb · G · Bb
- GmG · Bb · D
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
76 songs go round the same chords
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.
Three-step climbBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch bellsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb

What chords are in The Longest Time?

The loop is Eb – Gm – Cm7 – Bb – Ab – Eb (I – iii – vi7 – V – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is The Longest Time in?

Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in The Longest Time?

Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Longest Time easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of The Longest Time?

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