Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Miss Baltimore Crabs on piano
Written by Marc Shaiman
- F minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2002
- Easy
Learn Miss Baltimore Crabs in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – F – Fm – Db7
Miss Baltimore Crabs sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; F is F, A and C; Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiFIFmiDb7VI7- FmF · Ab · C
- FF · A · C
- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bouncy-ball chords
One chord, then chords bouncing on every “and”, like a ball. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Db – Eb – Fm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Miss Baltimore Crabs
What chords are in Miss Baltimore Crabs?
The loop is Fm – F – Fm – Db7 (i – I – i – bVI7) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Miss Baltimore Crabs in?
F minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Miss Baltimore Crabs?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Miss Baltimore Crabs 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.