Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Cross-Eyed Mary on piano
Written by Ian Anderson
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1971
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Cross-Eyed Mary in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – F – G – D
How it goes
Cross-Eyed Mary sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiiFIVGVDII- EmE · G · B
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Galloping heartbeat
How it goes
Ta-DUM, ta-DUM: quick pickups into beats 2 and 4, like hooves. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 3 · 3a · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 115 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Clockwork chords
How it goes
Four quick, even chords per short bar, ticking like clockwork. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- CC · E · G
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Questions about Cross-Eyed Mary
What chords are in Cross-Eyed Mary?
The loop is Em – F – G – D (iii – IV – V – II) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Cross-Eyed Mary in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cross-Eyed Mary?
Galloping heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 3 · 3a · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cross-Eyed Mary 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.