Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Mercy On Me on piano
Written by Christina Aguilrea & Linda Perry
- A minor
- 6/8
- 120 BPM
- 2006
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Mercy On Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – C – G
How it goes
Mercy On 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; C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiFVICIIIGVII- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Rowing-boat pulse
How it goes
Six even low notes per bar, rolling along like oars on water. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 240 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pirate-stomp chords
How it goes
Three even chords that cut across the rocking bar, bold like pirates. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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 – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm
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Questions about Mercy On Me
What chords are in Mercy On Me?
The loop is Am – F – C – G (i – VI – III – VII) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Mercy On Me in?
A minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Mercy On Me?
Rowing-boat pulse: root bass · 6/8 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mercy On Me easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.