Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute on piano
By Cy Coleman
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1980
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – D7 – Db7 – C7
How it goes
There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7I7D7VII7Db7bVII7C7VI7- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- D7D · F# · A · C
- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
How it goes
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 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 160 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 – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBb7Eb- EbEb · G · Bb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
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Questions about There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute
What chords are in There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute?
The loop is Eb7 – D7 – Db7 – C7 (I7 – VII7 – bVII7 – VI7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute in?
Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is There's A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.