Song · Juice Newton

Break It To Me Gently by Juice Newton

Adult Contemporary1982AdvancedBarre chords7th chords🎸 Interactive

Break It To Me Gently by Juice Newton runs at 178 BPM in 12/8 and is in the key of E major. It is built on 6 chords — E, A, F#7, G#m, B, F#m7. Released in 1982.

✓ Key sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected. See how we verify →

Break It To Me Gently — Juice Newton
Tempo 178 or 89 half-time
Key E major verified
Time 12/8 signature
Length 4:04 runtime
Released 1982 Adult Contemporary
Chords 6 shapes below
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🎚 Tuning: This recording sits about 10 cents sharp of concert pitch (A=442.5Hz, not 440Hz). Tune to the track or you'll fight it the whole way.
🎸 Tap a chord to hear it Every shape in this song, on a real fretboard.

What to watch for

At least one shape here is a full barre — one finger pressing all six strings, no open strings to lean on. Fret it unplugged first; if a string buzzes, it's the barre, not the chord. Listen for the 7th in these chords — it's the note doing most of the harmonic pull, and it's the first thing that disappears if you fret only the plain triad underneath it.

Practice at the right tempo

This song sits at 178 BPM. Start at 60% until the changes are clean — speed is a by-product of accuracy, not a goal.

🥁 Metronome 178 BPM · 100%

Learn the theory

Music TheoryThe Major Scale Music TheoryMajor 7, Minor 7 & Dominant 7

Play it on a live fretboard

Every shape, every voicing, and the scale that fits over them — on a board you can hear. Then just talk to it: Melody Monkey's personal music teacher controls the fretboard, so ask for a chord, a scale, a progression, or why any of it works, and watch it land under your fingers. Free to start.

Open the free app →

Keep playing

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Peter GabrielShock the MonkeyD minor · 151 BPM The PoliceSpirits In The Material WorldA minor · 141 BPM Rolling StonesWaiting On A FriendC major · 118 BPM Joni Mitchell(You're So Square) Baby, I Don't CareG major · 172 BPM John DenverSeasons Of The HeartC major · 136 BPM Rolling StonesGoing To A Go-GoE major · 129 BPM

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Harry ChapinSunday Morning SunshineE major · 126 BPM Jimmy BuffettCome MondayA major · 108 BPM The Righteous BrothersSoul And InspirationA major · 92 BPM

Frequently asked questions

What key is Break It To Me Gently in?

Break It To Me Gently is in E major, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.

What tempo is Break It To Me Gently?

Break It To Me Gently runs at 178 BPM (or 89 half-time).

What chords does Break It To Me Gently use?

Break It To Me Gently is built on 6 chords: E, A, F#7, G#m, B, F#m7.

Does Break It To Me Gently need barre chords?

Yes — at least one shape is a full barre (one finger across all six strings). Everything else on the page is a standard open shape.

What tuning is Break It To Me Gently in?

This recording sits about 10 cents sharp of concert pitch (A=442.5Hz, not 440Hz). Tune to the track or you'll fight it the whole way.