Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Polythene Pam on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Polythene Pam in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: E – D – A – E
Polythene Pam sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIDbVIIAIVEI
- EE · G# · B
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
102 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Island pulseRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pumping chordsPumping 8ths · RockRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 160 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: D – A – E
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DAE

What chords are in Polythene Pam?

The loop is E – D – A – E (I – bVII – IV – I) in E major, and the song ends on D – A – E.

What key is Polythene Pam in?

E major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Polythene Pam?

Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Polythene Pam 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.