Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Tears on piano
By Clean Bandit
- F minor
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- Easy
Learn Tears in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Db – C
Tears sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Db is Db, F and Ab; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiBb7IV7DbVICV- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- DbDb · F · Ab
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Funky-chicken chords
Chords dodge almost every beat in tricky quick spots: pure funk. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 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- EbEb · G · Bb
Play next
Questions about Tears
What chords are in Tears?
The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Db – C (i – IV7 – bVI – V) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Tears in?
F minor, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Tears?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tears 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.