Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Valley Of Tears on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Valley Of Tears in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – F7 – Bb – F
Valley Of Tears sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIF7I7BbIVFI
- FF · A · C
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
62 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
Rock’n’roll rockerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Wait-a-beat chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 82 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: C – Bb – F
The last chords are V – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CBbF
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Valley Of Tears?

The loop is F – F7 – Bb – F (I – I7 – IV – I) in F major, and the song ends on C – Bb – F.

What key is Valley Of Tears in?

F major, at about 82 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Valley Of Tears?

Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Valley Of Tears 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.