Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play My Darlin’ on piano
Written by Miley Cyrus, Jeremy Felton & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 2013
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn My Darlin’ in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Fm – Db – Ab
How it goes
My Darlin’ sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiiiFmviDbIVAbI- CmC · Eb · G
- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Dawdling footsteps
How it goes
Two steps, then a lazy late note after beat 3 that catches up on 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 222 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 72 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
Play next
Questions about My Darlin’
What chords are in My Darlin’?
The loop is Cm – Fm – Db – Ab (iii – vi – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is My Darlin’ in?
Ab major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in My Darlin’?
Dawdling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Darlin’ 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.