Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Poor Unfortunate Souls on piano

By China Anne McClain

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Poor Unfortunate Souls in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Ab – Fm – Cm – Cm – Ab – Fm – Cm
How it goes
Poor Unfortunate Souls sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbVIFmivCmiCmiAbVIFmivCmi
- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- CmC · Eb · G
2
Left hand: Fluttering heartbeat
How it goes
A quick flutter before beat 2, then a push before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 152 songs of the library.
Fluttering heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Hand-clap chords
How it goes
Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hand-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 92 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: Ab – Bb – Cm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Poor Unfortunate Souls?

The loop is Ab – Fm – Cm – Cm – Ab – Fm – Cm (VI – iv – i – VI – iv – i – VI) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.

What key is Poor Unfortunate Souls in?

C minor, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Poor Unfortunate Souls?

Fluttering heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Poor Unfortunate Souls easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Poor Unfortunate Souls?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.