Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play When A Man Loves A Woman on piano
By Percy Sledge
- Eb major
- 6/8
- 64 BPM
- 1966
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn When A Man Loves A Woman in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Dm – Cm – Eb – Cm
How it goes
When A Man Loves A Woman sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Dm is D, F and A; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIDmviiCmviEbICmvi- EbEb · G · Bb
- DmD · F · A
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Cradle pulse
How it goes
A deep note, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 160 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Rowing-boat chords
How it goes
Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 64 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 – Ab – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about When A Man Loves A Woman
What chords are in When A Man Loves A Woman?
The loop is Eb – Dm – Cm – Eb – Cm (I – vii – vi – I – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab – Eb.
What key is When A Man Loves A Woman in?
Eb major, at about 64 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in When A Man Loves A Woman?
Cradle pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2.3 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When A Man Loves A Woman easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of When A Man Loves A Woman?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.