Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry on piano
By Dexter Gordon
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1944
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – C7 – F – Bb7
How it goes
I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmvC7I7FIVBb7bVII7- GmG · Bb · D
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
How it goes
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
What chords are in I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry?
The loop is Gm – C7 – F – Bb7 (v – I7 – IV – bVII7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.