Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Cryin’ on piano
Artist unknown
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 105 BPM
- Medium
Learn Cryin’ in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Eb – Bb – F
Cryin’ sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiiEbIVBbIFV- DmD · F · A
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Cradle chords
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 BPM
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
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
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Questions about Cryin’
What chords are in Cryin’?
The loop is Dm – Eb – Bb – F (iii – IV – I – V) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Cryin’ in?
Bb major, at about 105 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Cryin’?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cryin’ 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.