Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Tainted Love on piano
Written by Ed Cobb
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1976
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Tainted Love in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – Gm – Eb
How it goes
Tainted Love sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIFVGmviEbIV- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Double-step climb
How it goes
Two beats on the root, two on the next chord note up: simple and steady. Musicians call it broken chord 1-1-3-3 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 284 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
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Questions about Tainted Love
What chords are in Tainted Love?
The loop is Bb – F – Gm – Eb (I – V – vi – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Tainted Love in?
Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Tainted Love?
Double-step climb: broken chord 1-1-3-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tainted Love 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.