Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Don't Marry Me on piano
- Bb major
- 2/4
- 120 BPM
- 1958
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Don't Marry Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb – C7 – Bb
How it goes
Don't Marry Me sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7BbIC7II7BbI- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Little march
How it goes
A chord, then a single low note: left, right, like a little march. Musicians call it lh chords (2/4) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in 278 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Clockwork chords
How it goes
Four quick, even chords per short bar, ticking like clockwork. 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: Eb – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbF7Bb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Don't Marry Me
What chords are in Don't Marry Me?
The loop is F7 – Bb – C7 – Bb (V7 – I – II7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Don't Marry Me in?
Bb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in Don't Marry Me?
Little march: lh chords (2/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don't Marry Me 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.