Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play You Can't Sit Down on piano
By The Dovells
- G major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- I–vi–IV–V loop
- 1960
- Easy
Learn You Can't Sit Down in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Em – C – D
You Can't Sit Down sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Em is E, G and B; C is C, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIEmviCIVDV- GG · B · D
- EmE · G · B
- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- 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.
- 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 130 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
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Questions about You Can't Sit Down
What chords are in You Can't Sit Down?
The loop is G – Em – C – D (I – vi – IV – V) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is You Can't Sit Down in?
G major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Can't Sit Down?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Can't Sit Down 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.