Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Broken-Hearted Girl on piano
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Tor Erik Hermansen & others
- F major
- 4/4
- 84 BPM
- vi–IV–I–V loop
- 2008
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Broken-Hearted Girl in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Bb – F – C
How it goes
Broken-Hearted Girl sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviBbIVFICV- DmD · F · A
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
How it goes
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 84 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: C – Bb – F
How it goes
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CBbF
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Questions about Broken-Hearted Girl
What chords are in Broken-Hearted Girl?
The loop is Dm – Bb – F – C (vi – IV – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on C – Bb – F.
What key is Broken-Hearted Girl in?
F major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Broken-Hearted Girl?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Broken-Hearted Girl easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.