Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Pick Yourself Up on piano
By Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields
- D major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- ii–V7–ii–V7 loop
- 1936
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Pick Yourself Up in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Em – A7 – Em – A7
How it goes
Pick Yourself Up sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EmiiA7V7EmiiA7V7- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bobbing boat
How it goes
High, higher, then a dive to the bottom and back: a bobbing boat. Musicians call it open arpeggio 8-12-1-8 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 141 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. 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: Em – A7 – D
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EmA7D- DD · F# · A
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Questions about Pick Yourself Up
What chords are in Pick Yourself Up?
The loop is Em – A7 – Em – A7 (ii – V7 – ii – V7) in D major, and the song ends on Em – A7 – D.
What key is Pick Yourself Up in?
D major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Pick Yourself Up?
Bobbing boat: open arpeggio 8-12-1-8, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pick Yourself Up 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.