How to play Pie Jesu on piano

Learn Pie Jesu in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Ab – Fm – Bbm – Eb7
How it goes
Pie Jesu sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIFmviBbmiiEb7V7
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- BbmBb · Db · F
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
160 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Shimmering waves
How it goes
A low root, then two notes rocking fast like light on water. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 58 songs of the library.
Shimmering wavesOpen arpeggio · BalladLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pausing chordsBlock chords · ClassicalRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 80 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
- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb

What chords are in Pie Jesu?

The loop is Ab – Fm – Bbm – Eb7 (I – vi – ii – V7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.

What key is Pie Jesu in?

Ab major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pie Jesu?

Shimmering waves: open arpeggio 1-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Pie Jesu 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.