Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play When The Children Cry on piano
Written by Mike Tramp & Vito Bratta
- E minor
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1987
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn When The Children Cry in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – Bm – C – G
How it goes
When The Children Cry sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; Bm is B, D and F#; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiBmvCVIGIII- EmE · G · B
- BmB · D · F#
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Climb-and-jump
How it goes
Up the chord one note per beat, then a big jump back to the bottom. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 146 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. 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: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about When The Children Cry
What chords are in When The Children Cry?
The loop is Em – Bm – C – G (i – v – bVI – bIII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is When The Children Cry in?
E minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in When The Children Cry?
Climb-and-jump: broken chord 1-5-8-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When The Children Cry 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.