Other arrangements of The Longest Time
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(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 — Classic Piano Sheet Music
28 people have learned this song
Read "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Ab. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 176 BPM.
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.
Try other practice modes:
About “The Longest Time”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "The Longest Time"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature Ab. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel played in?
- The Longest Time is arranged in the key of Ab on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Longest Time"?
- The arrangement plays at 176 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "The Longest Time" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "The Longest Time"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "The Longest Time"?
- "The Longest Time" was originally performed by Billy Joel. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "The Longest Time"?
- This arrangement uses 11 chords: Ab, Bb, Bb7, Cm, D7, Eb, Eb7, F7, +3 more.
- What other songs by Billy Joel can I play here?
- Try "SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT", "EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM", "CAPTAIN JACK". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "The Longest Time" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature Ab, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 176 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.