Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Why You Been Gone So Long on piano
Written by Mickey Newbury
- C major
- 2/2
- 150 BPM
- 1969
- Easy
Learn Why You Been Gone So Long in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – D – F – G
Why You Been Gone So Long sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; D is D, F# and A; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviDIIFIVGV- AmA · C · E
- DD · F# · A
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Bluesy shrug
A long root, then down and back up to a bluesy note. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-7 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 73 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- CC · E · G
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Questions about Why You Been Gone So Long
What chords are in Why You Been Gone So Long?
The loop is Am – D – F – G (vi – II – IV – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Why You Been Gone So Long in?
C major, at about 150 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Why You Been Gone So Long?
Bluesy shrug: broken chord 8-5-7, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Why You Been Gone So Long 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.