Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Mama Who Bore Me on piano

Artist unknown

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Mama Who Bore Me in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Am – F – G – D
Mama Who Bore Me sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiFVIGVIIDIV
- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- DD · F# · A
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 66 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: F – G – Am
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm

What chords are in Mama Who Bore Me?

The loop is Am – F – G – D (i – bVI – bVII – IV) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.

What key is Mama Who Bore Me in?

A minor, at about 66 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Mama Who Bore Me?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Mama Who Bore 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.