Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Poetry Man on piano
Written by Phoebe Snow
- D major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- I–I7–I–I7 loop
- 1973
- Easy
Learn Poetry Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – D7 – D – D7
Poetry Man sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DID7I7DID7I7- DD · F# · A
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: G – A – D
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
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Questions about Poetry Man
What chords are in Poetry Man?
The loop is D – D7 – D – D7 (I – I7 – I – I7) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Poetry Man in?
D major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Poetry Man?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Poetry Man 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.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.