Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying on piano
By Gerry & The Pacemakers
- C major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1964
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – F – C – F
How it goes
Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIFIVCIFIV- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Dip-and-back bounce
How it goes
The root twice, a dip down on beat 3, and right back up on beat 4. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 188 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Double-skip chords
How it goes
Steady chords with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: C – F – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
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Questions about Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
What chords are in Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying?
The loop is C – F – C – F (I – IV – I – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying in?
C major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying?
Dip-and-back bounce: broken chord 8-8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying 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.