Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Boss Of Me on piano
Written by John Flansburgh & John Linnell
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 102 BPM
- 2000
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Boss Of Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Am – Cm – Am
How it goes
Boss Of Me sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiiAmviiCmiiAmvii- CmC · Eb · G
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Pony-trot pulse
How it goes
Quick trotting notes, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 114 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Candle flicker
How it goes
Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 102 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- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Boss Of Me
What chords are in Boss Of Me?
The loop is Cm – Am – Cm – Am (ii – vii – ii – vii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Boss Of Me in?
Bb major, at about 102 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Boss Of Me?
Pony-trot pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Boss Of Me 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.