Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Cruel World on piano
Written by Elizabeth Grant & Blake Stranathan
- F major
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- 2014
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Cruel World in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Ab – F – Ab
How it goes
Cruel World sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIAbbIIIFIAbbIII- FF · A · C
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Hopscotch steps
How it goes
Step, step, skip a beat, step: like hopping over a square. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 668 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 60 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Cruel World
What chords are in Cruel World?
The loop is F – Ab – F – Ab (I – bIII – I – bIII) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Cruel World in?
F major, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cruel World?
Hopscotch steps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cruel World 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.