Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play We Can't Make It Here on piano
By James Mc Murtry
- G major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- bVII–IV–I–bVII loop
- 2005
- Easy
Learn We Can't Make It Here in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – G – F
We Can't Make It Here sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FbVIICIVGIFbVII- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
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Questions about We Can't Make It Here
What chords are in We Can't Make It Here?
The loop is F – C – G – F (bVII – IV – I – bVII) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is We Can't Make It Here in?
G major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in We Can't Make It Here?
Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We Can't Make It Here 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.