Other arrangements of Mean
Pick a learning view.
(C#m)You, with your (B)words like knives and (Asus2)swords and weap ons that you use a gainst me.
(C#m)You
have (B)knocked me off my feet a gain, got me feel ing like a noth ing.
(C#m)You, with your (B)voice like nails on a (Asus2)chalk board call ing me out when I’m wound ed.
(C#m)You,
(B)pick ing on the weak er man.
Well, you can take me down with just one (A)sin gle blow.
But you don’t know what you don’t know.
(E)Some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)liv ing in a big ole (A)cit y, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
(E)Some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)big e nough so you can’t (A)hit me, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why (CN.C.)you got ta be so mean?
(C#m)You,
with your (B)switch ing sides and your (A)wild fire lies and your hu mil i a tion.
(C#m)You
have (B)point ed out my flaws a gain, as if I don’t (CN.C.)al read y see them.
I walk with my head down, try’n’ to (A)block you out ’cause I’ll nev er im press you.
(C#m)I
just (B)wan na feel o kay a gain.
I bet you got pushed a round.
Some bod y (A)made you cold.
But the cy cle ends right now ’cause you can’t lead me down that road, and you don’t know what you (CN.C.)don’t know.
And I can (B)see you years from now in a bar,
talk ing o ver a (A)foot ball game with that same big, loud o pin ion, but no bod y’s (A)lis ten ing.
Washed up and rant ing a bout the (C#m)same old (B)bit ter (A)things,
(B)drunk and grum bling on a bout how (C#m)I (B)can’t (A)sing.
But all you are is mean.
(A)All you are is (E)mean, and a (B)li ar, and pa (C#m)thet ic, and a (A)lone in life, and (E)mean and (B)mean and (C#m)mean and (A)mean.
But (E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)liv ing in a big ole (A)cit y, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Oh,
(E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)big e nough so you can’t (A)hit me, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why you got ta be so...
(E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)liv ing in a big ole (A)cit y, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Oh,
(E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)big e nough so you can’t (A)hit me, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why you got ta be so...
(E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why you got ta be so mean?
Mean — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial
22 people have learned this song
Watch "Mean" by Taylor Swift in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. Key of E, 150 BPM.
This arrangement is a great workout for your right hand's ability to hop between chord shapes quickly — at 150 BPM, transitions like E to C#m and B to Asus2 come up fast, so start hands-separate at around 100 BPM and build speed only once the shapes feel automatic.
Your left hand plays an octave bass pattern throughout, which sounds simple but demands consistent reach and steady timing; keep your wrist relaxed and let your arm weight do the work instead of squeezing.
Watch the jump to that C chord — it's outside the key of E and can catch you off guard if you're on autopilot, so flag those measures and loop them until the shift feels natural.
The Asus2 to A change is just one finger lifting, but at tempo it's easy to rush; stay locked to the beat.
Once this clicks, you'll have real confidence moving between natural and sharp-key chords, which opens up a huge chunk of the pop repertoire for you.
Try other practice modes:
About “Mean”
- Can I learn "Mean" with falling notes like Synthesia?
- Yes — Falling Notes mode shows colored note shapes dropping onto a virtual keyboard, the same visual style as Synthesia or piano-tile games. Each note's column matches the piano key you press. Works for "Mean" with hands-separate practice in E at 150 BPM.
- What key is "Mean" by Taylor Swift played in?
- Mean is arranged in the key of E on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Mean"?
- The arrangement plays at 150 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Mean" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "Mean"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Mean"?
- "Mean" was originally performed by Taylor Swift. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Mean"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: A, Asus2, B, Bpow, C, C#m, D, E.
- What other songs by Taylor Swift can I play here?
- Try "GETAWAY CAR", "THE LAST TIME", "ENCHANTED". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Can I practice left and right hand separately for "Mean"?
- Yes! Our Top Down mode lets you isolate the left hand (bass clef), right hand (treble clef), or play both together. This makes it easy to master "Mean" one hand at a time before combining them.
- What is falling notes style for "Mean"?
- Falling notes (also known as Synthesia or piano waterfall) shows color-coded rectangles falling from the top of the screen onto a virtual keyboard. Each note's position matches the piano key you need to press. "Mean" is in the key of E at 150 BPM.