Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Trying To Stop Your Leaving on piano
Written by Jim Beavers, Brett Beavers & others
- G major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- vi–IVsus–I–V loop
- 2006
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Trying To Stop Your Leaving in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – Csus4 – G – D
How it goes
Trying To Stop Your Leaving sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; Csus4 is C, F and G; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmviCsus4IVsus4GIDV- EmE · G · B
- Csus4C · F · G
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
How it goes
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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 – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Trying To Stop Your Leaving
What chords are in Trying To Stop Your Leaving?
The loop is Em – Csus4 – G – D (vi – IVsus – I – V) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Trying To Stop Your Leaving in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Trying To Stop Your Leaving?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Trying To Stop Your Leaving 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.