Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress on piano
Written by Jimmy Webb
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1974
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Bb – Cm – Fsus4
How it goes
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Fsus4 is F, Bb and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVBbICmiiFsus4Vsus4- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- Fsus4F · Bb · C
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
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Questions about The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
What chords are in The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress?
The loop is Eb – Bb – Cm – Fsus4 (IV – I – ii – Vsus) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress in?
Bb major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress 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.