Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Pie Jesu on piano

By Gabriel Fauré

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Pie Jesu in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Gm – D – Bb – Gm – F – F7 – Cm7 – Dm7
Pie Jesu sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; D is D, F# and A; Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Dm7 is D, F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmviDIIIBbIGmviFVF7V7Cm7ii7Dm7iii7
- GmG · Bb · D
- DD · F# · A
- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- Dm7D · F · A · C
2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Velvet jazzLeft-hand chords · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 56 BPM
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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
- EbEb · G · Bb

What chords are in Pie Jesu?

The loop is Gm – D – Bb – Gm – F – F7 – Cm7 – Dm7 (vi – III – I – vi – V – V7 – ii7 – iii7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Pie Jesu in?

Bb major, at about 56 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pie Jesu?

Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Pie Jesu easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Pie Jesu?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.