Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Devil Woman on piano
Written by Marty Robbins
- D major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- I–V7–I–V7 loop
- 1962
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Devil Woman in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A7 – D – A7
How it goes
Devil Woman sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIA7V7DIA7V7- DD · F# · A
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Tumble down
How it goes
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 635 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pony-trot chords
How it goes
Quick trotting chords, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about Devil Woman
What chords are in Devil Woman?
The loop is D – A7 – D – A7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Devil Woman in?
D major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Devil Woman?
Tumble down: broken chord 8-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Devil Woman 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.