Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play You Can't Hurry Love on piano
By Brian Holland
- C major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1965
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You Can't Hurry Love in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – Am – F – G7
How it goes
You Can't Hurry Love sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiiAmviFIVG7V7- EmE · G · B
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Upside-down pulse
How it goes
Every note lands between the beats, so it bounces like reggae. Musicians call it root bass · offbeats (&s) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 176 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about You Can't Hurry Love
What chords are in You Can't Hurry Love?
The loop is Em – Am – F – G7 (iii – vi – IV – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is You Can't Hurry Love in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Can't Hurry Love?
Upside-down pulse: root bass · offbeats (&s), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Can't Hurry Love 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.