Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself on piano
By Jess Glynne
- F# major
- 4/4
- 119 BPM
- Easy
Learn Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C# – G#m – A#m – B
Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself sits in F# major: F# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C# is C#, E# and G#; G#m is G#, B and D#; A#m is A#, C# and E#; B is B, D# and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#VG#miiA#miiiBIV- C#C# · E# · G#
- G#mG# · B · D#
- A#mA# · C# · E#
- BB · D# · F#
- 2
Left hand: Hop-skip heartbeat
Three steps, then a quick hop that skips right over beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 250 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 119 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: B – C# – F#
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BC#F#- F#F# · A# · C#
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Questions about Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
What chords are in Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself?
The loop is C# – G#m – A#m – B (V – ii – iii – IV) in F# major, and the song ends on B – C# – F#.
What key is Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself in?
F# major, at about 119 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself?
Hop-skip heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself 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.