Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word on piano
By Elton John
- E minor
- 2/2
- 116 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: B – G – C#m7 – Am
How it goes
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word sits in E minor: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: B is B, D# and F#; G is G, B and D; C#m7 is C#, E, G# and B; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BVGIIIC#m7vi7Amiv- BB · D# · F#
- GG · B · D
- C#m7C# · E · G# · B
- AmA · C · E
- 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
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 116 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: C – D – Em
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDEm- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
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Questions about Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
What chords are in Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word?
The loop is B – G – C#m7 – Am (V – III – vi7 – iv) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word in?
E minor, at about 116 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.