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Tell Mama — Classic Piano Sheet Music
About “Tell Mama”
Read "Tell Mama" by Janis Joplin in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of F. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.
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Lyrics
You thought you had to find a good girl,
one to love you and (C)give you the world.
Now you find that (C)you’ve been mis used.
Talk to me, I’ll (C)do what you choose.
I want you to
tell Ma ma
all a bout it;
tell Ma ma
what you need.
Tell Ma ma
what you want,
and (F7)I’ll make ev ’ry (Bb)thing all right.
That girl you had did n’t have no sense.
She was n’t worth all the (C)time that you spent.
She had oth er man (C)throw you out doors.
Now the same man is (C)wear in’ your clothes.
I want you to
She would em bar rass you (C)an y where.
She let ev ’ry bod y know (C)she did n’t care.
Give me a chance, I’ve been (C)beg gin’ you.
I just wan na take care of you.
I want you to
tell Ma ma
all a bout it;
tell Ma ma
what you need.
Tell Ma ma
what you want.
Tell Ma ma
what you want right now.
Tell me.
Tell your Ma ma.
Tell Ma ma
what you want right now.
Tell me.
Tell your Ma ma.
Tell Ma ma.
Practice tip
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Questions about this song (13)
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Tell Mama"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature F. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Tell Mama" by Janis Joplin played in?
- Tell Mama is arranged in the key of F on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Tell Mama"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Tell Mama" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Tell Mama"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Tell Mama"?
- "Tell Mama" was originally performed by Janis Joplin. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Tell Mama"?
- This arrangement uses 7 chords: Am7, B, Bb, C, Dm, F, F7.
- What other songs by Janis Joplin can I play here?
- Try "ME AND BOBBY McGEE", "LITTLE GIRL BLUE", "PIECE OF MY HEART". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Tell Mama" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature F, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 120 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.
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