Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Finesse on piano
Written by Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence & others
- F minor
- 4/4
- 104 BPM
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Finesse in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Db – C7 – Fm
How it goes
Finesse sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Db is Db, F and Ab; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVDbVIC7V7Fmi- CC · E · G
- DbDb · F · Ab
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Bubbly heartbeat
How it goes
Steady beats filled with quick little pickups around beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 173 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
How it goes
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 104 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: Db – Eb – Fm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Finesse
What chords are in Finesse?
The loop is C – Db – C7 – Fm (V – bVI – V7 – i) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Finesse in?
F minor, at about 104 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Finesse?
Bubbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Finesse easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.