Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Hurts on piano
Written by Emeli Sandé
- C# minor
- 4/4
- 105 BPM
- 2016
- Easy
Learn Hurts in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C#m – A – F#m – E
Hurts sits in C# minor: C# is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C#m is C#, E and G#; A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C#miAVIF#mivEIII- C#mC# · E · G#
- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- EE · G# · B
- 2
Left hand: Run-up footsteps
Four steady steps plus a quick extra one that leads into the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 581 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 105 BPM
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: A – B – C#m
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABC#m- BB · D# · F#
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Questions about Hurts
What chords are in Hurts?
The loop is C#m – A – F#m – E (i – bVI – iv – bIII) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.
What key is Hurts in?
C# minor, at about 105 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hurts?
Run-up footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hurts easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.