Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Partyman on piano

Written by Prince

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Partyman in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: E – F#m – E – F#m
Partyman sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIF#miiEIF#mii
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
164 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Jack-in-the-box
One note jumping up and down an octave on every beat. Musicians call it broken chord 3-10 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 164 songs of the library.
Jack-in-the-boxBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Freeze-tag chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 119 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 – E
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
ABE
- AA · C# · E
- BB · D# · F#

What chords are in Partyman?

The loop is E – F#m – E – F#m (I – ii – I – ii) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.

What key is Partyman in?

E major, at about 119 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Partyman?

Jack-in-the-box: broken chord 3-10, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Partyman 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.