Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Mandy on piano

By Barry Manilow

  • Bb major
  • 4/4
  • 84 BPM
  • 1971
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Three-step climbRight hand Skipping-stone chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

Play the full song with sheet music

Learn Mandy in 5 steps

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

  1. 1

    Chords: Bb – Gm – Eb – F – Eb

    How it goes

    Mandy sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.

    BbIGmviEbIVFVEbIV
    • BbBb · D · F
    • GmG · Bb · D
    • EbEb · G · Bb
    • FF · A · C
    39 songs go round the same chords
  2. 2

    Left hand: Three-step climb

    How it goes

    Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.

  3. 3

    Right hand: Skipping-stone chords

    How it goes

    One chord, then two bounces on the “ands”, like a stone on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.

  4. 4

    Both hands at 84 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. 5

    Ending: F – Eb – Bb

    How it goes

    The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.

    FEbBb

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Questions about Mandy

What chords are in Mandy?

The loop is Bb – Gm – Eb – F – Eb (I – vi – IV – V – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on F – Eb – Bb.

What key is Mandy in?

Bb major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Mandy?

Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Mandy easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Mandy?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.