Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Hard Times on piano
By Ray Charles
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- Easy
Learn Hard Times in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cb7 – Bb7 – Ab – Eb
Hard Times sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cb7 is Cb, Eb, Gb and Bbb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Cb7bVI7Bb7V7AbIVEbI- Cb7Cb · Eb · Gb · Bbb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Eb – Ab7 – Eb
The last chords are I – IV7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAb7Eb- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
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Questions about Hard Times
What chords are in Hard Times?
The loop is Cb7 – Bb7 – Ab – Eb (bVI7 – V7 – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab7 – Eb.
What key is Hard Times in?
Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hard Times?
Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hard Times 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.