Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe on piano
By Elkie Brooks
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 1974
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – F – C
How it goes
Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIFIVCI- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
How it goes
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – F – C
How it goes
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 Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe
What chords are in Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe?
The loop is F – C – F – C (IV – I – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.
What key is Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pearl’s A Singer From Smokey Joe's Cafe 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.