Piano tutorial

How to Play "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gayle on Piano

“Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” is in C major, 4/4 time, at 94 BPM. This lesson teaches a simple version of the song: the melody in your right hand and easy chords in your left, one phrase at a time. The song has 8 phrases, and 1 of them repeats one you will already know.

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 94 BPM
  • Easy
  • Melody + easy chords
Starts with Phrase 1: Melody8 phrases

Free to play. Unlock the song or go Premium to download the printable Practice Pack.

Play the full songDownload to practice offline

What you need to know

Read from the song's own melody and chords. The left hand is kept simple on purpose.

Key and scale

C major

No sharps or flats

CDEFGAB

The C major scale

Time signature

4/4

4 beats in every bar, at 94 BPM

The chords you play

The song uses 9 chords. You learn them a phrase at a time: C, Am, Dm, G, Bm, E, D, F and Em.

Some chords are simplified on purpose: the lesson plays Dm where the sheet music writes Dm7.

As the sheet music writes them

Your left hand for this song

Arpeggio

We'll use this simple left-hand pattern to accompany the melody: low, middle, high, middle, two notes a beat. A slow song in 4/4 has room for two notes a beat.

One easy shape per chordOptional, on steps 2 and 3Easier: Slow arpeggio

Right hand

The melody

The tune the singer sings, one note at a time, with finger numbers.

Range C4 to D5Phrase by phrase

The lesson, step by step

3 short steps for each phrase of the song. Each one opens in the lesson player, so you can listen and play along on your own piano.

Every step is free to play
  1. Start hereRight hand

    Step 1: Melody

    Listen, then play the tune with your right hand, with finger numbers.

    Open this step
  2. Left hand

    Step 2: Chords

    Your left hand learns this phrase's chords: a bass note, block chords, or a simple pattern.

    Open this step
  3. Both hands

    Step 3: Hands together

    The melody with your left hand's chords under it. When you can play this, you can play the phrase.

    Open this step
  4. Then play the whole song

    When you can play every phrase, play the full sheet music in the player.

    Play the full song

Frequently asked questions

What key is “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” in?

“Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” is in C major, which has no sharps or flats. The C major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

What are the chords in “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”?

The lesson plays 9 chords, one easy shape each: C, Am, Dm, G, Bm, E, D, F and Em. As the sheet music writes them: C, Am, Am/G, Dm7, Dm, G, Bm7, E7, D9/F#, D9, F, F6, F/G and Em. Some chords are simplified on purpose: the lesson plays Dm where the sheet music writes Dm7.

What should my left hand play in “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”?

First your left hand learns each phrase's chords on its own, then with the melody. It plays a bass note or a block chord when the chord changes, or a simple pattern: you choose, and the same choice stays on both steps.

What tempo is “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”?

“Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” plays at 94 BPM in 4/4. Every step starts at the song's tempo, and you can slow it down as much as you need.

Is “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” hard to play on piano?

It is rated Easy. The melody goes from C4 up to D5. The lesson teaches a simple version: the melody and one easy chord shape at a time in the left hand.

Where can I get the sheet music for “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”?

Play the full sheet music free in the interactive player, or download a printable PDF. Unlock the song or go Premium to download the printable Practice Pack. It is this lesson on paper, with fingering, one left-hand style per PDF.

Sheet music in the playerDownload the PDFThe Practice Pack