Your Cheatin’ Heart Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Your Cheatin’ Heart in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: G7 – C – C7 – F
Your Cheatin’ Heart sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIC7I7FIV
- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
78 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Bossa seesaw
Low-low, high-high in a laid-back Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 428 songs of the library.
Bossa seesawRoot–fifth bass · Bossa novaLeft handEasy
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 100 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 – G7 – C
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C

What chords are in Your Cheatin’ Heart?

The loop is G7 – C – C7 – F (V7 – I – I7 – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.

What key is Your Cheatin’ Heart in?

C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Your Cheatin’ Heart?

Bossa seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Your Cheatin’ Heart 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.