Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Ka-Lu-A on piano
Written by Jerome Kern
- C minor
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 2017
- Medium
Learn Ka-Lu-A in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – C7 – F – F7
Ka-Lu-A sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIC7I7FIVF7IV7- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: C – F – C
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
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Questions about Ka-Lu-A
What chords are in Ka-Lu-A?
The loop is C – C7 – F – F7 (I – I7 – IV – IV7) in C minor, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Ka-Lu-A in?
C minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Ka-Lu-A?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ka-Lu-A 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.