Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Pick Up The Pieces on piano

Written by James Hamish Stuart, Alan Gorrie & others

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Pick Up The Pieces in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Ab – Eb – Fm – Db
How it goes
Pick Up The Pieces sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIEbVFmviDbIV
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
2
Left hand: Hurry-and-wait pulse
How it goes
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
Hurry-and-wait pulseRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Dance-floor chords
How it goes
Off-centre chords keep landing between the beats: a dance-floor groove. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Dance-floor chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 104 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb

What chords are in Pick Up The Pieces?

The loop is Ab – Eb – Fm – Db (I – V – vi – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.

What key is Pick Up The Pieces in?

Ab major, at about 104 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pick Up The Pieces?

Hurry-and-wait pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Pick Up The Pieces 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Pick Up The Pieces?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.