Piano chords · Classical salon
How to play Pencil Full Of Lead on piano
By Paolo Nutini
- D major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 2009
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Pencil Full Of Lead in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – A7 – G7 – D7
How it goes
Pencil Full Of Lead sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; A7 is A, C#, E and G; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7I7A7V7G7IV7D7I7- D7D · F# · A · C
- A7A · C# · E · G
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Little steps
How it goes
Up the chord and back, one step at a time. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5-3 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 304 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Pencil Full Of Lead
What chords are in Pencil Full Of Lead?
The loop is D7 – A7 – G7 – D7 (I7 – V7 – IV7 – I7) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Pencil Full Of Lead in?
D major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Pencil Full Of Lead?
Little steps: broken chord 1-3-5-3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pencil Full Of Lead 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.