Piano chords · Classical salon

How to play Tell Me Why on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Tell Me Why in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Bm – Em – A7 – D
Tell Me Why sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmviEmiiA7V7DI
- BmB · D · F#
- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DD · F# · A
35 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Little steps
Up the chord and back, one step at a time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-3 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 304 songs of the library.
Little stepsBroken chord · ClassicalLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Soft chordsBlock chords · BalladRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 156 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD
- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E

What chords are in Tell Me Why?

The loop is Bm – Em – A7 – D (vi – ii – V7 – I) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Tell Me Why in?

D major, at about 156 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Tell Me Why?

Little steps: broken chord 1-3-5-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Tell Me Why 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.