Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Don't Tell Me You Love Me on piano
By Night Ranger
- A major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1982
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Don't Tell Me You Love Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B – F#m – B – F#m
How it goes
Don't Tell Me You Love Me sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: B is B, D# and F#; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BIIF#mviBIIF#mvi- BB · D# · F#
- F#mF# · A · C#
- 2
Left hand: Late-hop footsteps
How it goes
Steady low-high steps with one quick extra hop after beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 659 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about Don't Tell Me You Love Me
What chords are in Don't Tell Me You Love Me?
The loop is B – F#m – B – F#m (II – vi – II – vi) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Don't Tell Me You Love Me in?
A major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don't Tell Me You Love Me?
Late-hop footsteps: 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 Tell Me You Love Me 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.