Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Brown Eyed Handsome Man on piano
Artist unknown
- E major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- I–bVII–I–bVII loop
- 1956
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Brown Eyed Handsome Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: E – D – E – D
How it goes
Brown Eyed Handsome Man sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIDbVIIEIDbVII- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Rockabilly wiggle
How it goes
Root, a skip down, a step down and back up: a rockabilly shake. Musicians call it broken chord 8-6-5-6 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 76 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Deep-breath chords
How it goes
A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: E – D – E
How it goes
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EDE
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Questions about Brown Eyed Handsome Man
What chords are in Brown Eyed Handsome Man?
The loop is E – D – E – D (I – bVII – I – bVII) in E major, and the song ends on E – D – E.
What key is Brown Eyed Handsome Man in?
E major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Brown Eyed Handsome Man?
Rockabilly wiggle: broken chord 8-6-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Brown Eyed Handsome Man 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.