Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Love Me Tender on piano
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1956
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Love Me Tender in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – F – G – C7
How it goes
Love Me Tender sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7FIGIIC7V7- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: River roll
How it goes
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, like a river. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 242 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Bb – C7 – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbC7F- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about Love Me Tender
What chords are in Love Me Tender?
The loop is C7 – F – G – C7 (V7 – I – II – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C7 – F.
What key is Love Me Tender in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Love Me Tender?
River roll: open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Love Me Tender 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 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.