Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Big Girls Don't Cry on piano
By Fergie
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- V7–I–VI7–ii loop
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Big Girls Don't Cry in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – Ab – F7 – Bbm
How it goes
Big Girls Don't Cry sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7V7AbIF7VI7Bbmii- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbmBb · Db · F
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
How it goes
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Big Girls Don't Cry
What chords are in Big Girls Don't Cry?
The loop is Eb7 – Ab – F7 – Bbm (V7 – I – VI7 – ii) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Big Girls Don't Cry in?
Ab major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Big Girls Don't Cry?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Big Girls Don't 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.