Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Don't Be That Way on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Don't Be That Way in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Db – Bbm – Ebm – Ab7
How it goes
Don't Be That Way sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIBbmviEbmiiAb7V7
- DbDb · F · Ab
- BbmBb · Db · F
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
160 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Walking rootsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Skipping-stone chords
How it goes
One chord, then two bounces on the “ands”, like a stone on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Skipping-stone chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 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: Db – Gb – Db
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbGbDb
- GbGb · Bb · Db

What chords are in Don't Be That Way?

The loop is Db – Bbm – Ebm – Ab7 (I – vi – ii – V7) in Db major, and the song ends on Db – Gb – Db.

What key is Don't Be That Way in?

Db major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Don't Be That Way?

Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Don't Be That Way 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.