Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Poker Face on piano
By Lady Gaga
- A minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2008
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Poker Face in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – F – G – Am – F – G
How it goes
Poker Face sits in A minor: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Am is A, C and E; F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiFVIGVIIAmiFVIGVII- AmA · C · E
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: F – G – Am
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGAm
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Questions about Poker Face
What chords are in Poker Face?
The loop is Am – F – G – Am – F – G (i – VI – VII – i – VI – VII) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Poker Face in?
A minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Poker Face?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Poker Face easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Poker Face?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.