I Cried A Tear by LaVern Baker
I Cried A Tear by LaVern Baker runs at 172 BPM in 12/8 and is in the key of A major. It is built on 5 chords — A, E7, Amaj7, A7, D. Released in 1959.
✓ Key sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected. See how we verify →
What to watch for
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 172 BPM. Start at 60% until the changes are clean — speed is a by-product of accuracy, not a goal.
Learn the theory
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What key is I Cried A Tear in?
I Cried A Tear is in A major, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.
What tempo is I Cried A Tear?
I Cried A Tear runs at 172 BPM (or 86 half-time).
What chords does I Cried A Tear use?
I Cried A Tear is built on 5 chords: A, E7, Amaj7, A7, D.