What key is "The Longest Time" in?

"The Longest Time" by Billy Joel is in the key of Ab with a tempo of 176 BPM. Difficulty: medium.

Is "The Longest Time" easy to play on piano?

This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.

Can I play "The Longest Time" without reading sheet music?

Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.

What chords are used in "The Longest Time"?

This arrangement of "The Longest Time" uses 11 chords: Ab, Bb, Bb7, Cm, D7, Eb, Eb7, F7, +3 more.

How long does it take to learn "The Longest Time" on piano?

2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.

What other songs by Billy Joel can I play here?

Try "SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT", "EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM", "CAPTAIN JACK". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

Lyrics

(Eb)Oh,

(Bb)oh, (Eb)oh, (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)time

(Bb)Oh, (Eb)oh, (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)If (Gm)you (Eb)said (Gm)good (Ab)bye to me to (Eb)night

There (Gm)would (Eb)still (Gm)be (F7)mu sic (F7)left to (Bb)write

What (G7)else could (Cm)I do (Bb)When I’m so in (Eb)spired a (Eb7)by you That has n’t (Fm)hap pened for the (Bb)long est (Eb)time

(Eb)Once (Gm)I (Eb)thought (Gm)my (Ab)in no cence was (Eb)gone

Now (Gm)I (Eb)know (Gm)that (F7)hap pi (F7)ness goes (Bb)on

That’s (G7)where you (Cm)found me (Bb)When you put your (Eb)arms a (Eb7)round me I have n’t (Fm)been there for the (Bb)long est (Eb)time

(Eb)Oh,

(Bb)oh, (Eb)oh, (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)time

(Bb)Oh, (Eb)oh, (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)I’m (Gm)that (Eb)voice (Gm)you’re (Ab)hear ing in the (Eb)hall

And (Gm)the (Eb)great (Gm)est (F7)mir a (F7)cle of (Bb)all

Is (G7)how I (Cm)need you I And how you (Eb)need ed (Eb7)me too That has n’t (Fm)hap pened for the (Bb)long est (Eb)time

(Bb)May be this won’t (Cm)last ver y long But (D7)you feel so right And (Eb)I could be wrong

(Gm)May be I’ve been hop an ing too hard But I’ve der gone this far And it’s (Bb7)more than I hoped for (Eb)Who (Gm)knows (Eb)how (Gm)much (Ab)fur ther we’ll go (Eb)on

May (Gm)be (Eb)I’ll (Gm)be (F7)sor ry (F7)when you’re (Bb)gone

I’ll (G7)take my (Cm)chanc es I for got how (Eb)nice ro (Eb7)mance is I have n’t (Fm)been there for the (Bb)long est (Eb)time

(Bb)I had sec ond (Cm)thoughts at the start I (D7)said to my self Hold (Eb)on to your heart

(Gm)Now I know the wom an that you are You’re won der ful so far And it’s (Bb7)more than I hoped for (Eb)I (Gm)don’t (Eb)care (Gm)what (Ab)con se quence it (Eb)brings

I (Gm)have (Eb)been (Gm)a (F7)fool for (F7)less er (Bb)things

I (G7)want you (Cm)so bad I think you (Eb)ought to (Eb7)know that (Ab)I in tend to (Fm)hold you for the (Bb)long est (Eb)time

Oh,

(Bb)oh, (Eb)oh (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)time

(Bb)Oh, (Eb)oh, (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)time

(Bb)Oh, (Eb)oh, (Ab)oh

(Bb)For the long est (Eb)time

The Longest Time by Billy Joel

6 people have learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of Ab at 176 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement sits in A♭ with four flats, so your hands need to feel at home on those black keys before you push the tempo anywhere near 176 BPM — start at half speed, seriously.

Your left hand drives an octave bass pattern throughout, which sounds simple but gets tiring fast at tempo; keep your wrist loose and let your arm weight do the work rather than gripping each octave.

The real challenge is your right hand navigating eleven chords, including a string of secondary dominants — D7, G7, and F7 — that pull you briefly outside the key.

Drill those transitions in isolation because the voice-leading between, say, G7 to Cm or F7 to Fm involves small finger shifts that are easy to fumble when the tempo picks up.

Practice hands separately until each feels automatic, then combine at a slow tempo and only increase speed in small increments.

Once this clicks, you'll have genuine confidence moving through dominant-seventh shapes quickly, which pays off in almost every jazz-flavored pop song you'll touch next.

About “The Longest Time”

What key is "The Longest Time" in?: "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel is in the key of Ab with a tempo of 176 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
Is "The Longest Time" easy to play on piano?: This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.
Can I play "The Longest Time" without reading sheet music?: Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
What chords are used in "The Longest Time"?: This arrangement of "The Longest Time" uses 11 chords: Ab, Bb, Bb7, Cm, D7, Eb, Eb7, F7, +3 more.
How long does it take to learn "The Longest Time" on piano?: 2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.
What other songs by Billy Joel can I play here?: Try "SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT", "EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM", "CAPTAIN JACK". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.