Try A Little Tenderness

by Otis Redding
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Lyrics

She may be (Bm7)wea ry;

wom en do get (A7)wea ry,

(C)wear ing the same shab by (B7)dress.

And when she’s wea ry,

try a lit tle (A13)ten

der (F7)ness.

(Bm7)Oo, she may be wait ing,

just an tic i pat ing (C)things she may nev er pos (B)sess,

and while she’s with out them,

try a lit tle (A13)ten

der (D)ness.

It’s (Gmaj7)not just

sen ti (F#7)men tal;

she has her (Bm)grief and her (B)care,

but a (Em7)word

so soft and (D#dim)gen tle

makes it (Em7)eas i er

to (A7)bear.

You won’t re (Bm7)gret it;

wom en don’t for (A7)get it.

(C)Love is their whole hap pi (B7)ness,

and it’s all so eas y:

try a lit tle (A13)ten

der (D)ness.

It’s (Gmaj7)not just

sen ti (F#7)men tal;

she has her (Bm)grief and her (B)care,

but a (Em7)word

so soft and (D#dim)gen tle

makes it (Em7)eas i er

to (A7)bear.

You won’t re (Bm7)gret it;

wom en don’t for (A7)get it.

(C)Love is their whole hap pi (B7)ness,

and it’s all so eas y:

try a lit tle (A13)ten

der (D)ness.

It’s and it’s all so eas y:

just try a lit tle ten der (F#)ness.

You’ve got ta try.

You’ve got to (Em7)hold her.

You’ve got to (G)squeeze her.

You have to (F#)try, you’ve got to try and al ways (B)please her.

(B)You won’t re (Em7)gret it, you won’t re gret it.

Oh,

(CN.C.)try,

a lit tle ten der ten der ness.

Try A Little Tenderness — Visual Piano Sheet Music

4 people have learned this song

"Try A Little Tenderness" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of D, 70 BPM.

Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.

About “Try A Little Tenderness”

Why does "Try A Little Tenderness" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "Try A Little Tenderness".
What key is "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding played in?
Try A Little Tenderness is arranged in the key of D on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Try A Little Tenderness"?
The arrangement plays at 70 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Try A Little Tenderness" 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 "Try A Little Tenderness"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Try A Little Tenderness"?
"Try A Little Tenderness" was originally performed by Otis Redding. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What other songs by Otis Redding can I play here?
Try "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", "THE DOCK OF THE BAY", "I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "Try A Little Tenderness"?
It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "Try A Little Tenderness".
Can I see all the notes in "Try A Little Tenderness"?
Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of D at 70 BPM.