Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Pure Imagination on piano
By Gene Wilder
- Bb minor
- 2/2
- 128 BPM
- 1970
- Easy
Learn Pure Imagination in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ebm7 – Ab7 – Db
Pure Imagination sits in Bb minor: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 3 chords: Ebm7 is Eb, Gb, Bb and Db; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Ebm7iv7Ab7VII7DbIII- Ebm7Eb · Gb · Bb · Db
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Moonlit climb
Three notes rising to a soft, jazzy top note in three, left to ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-7 (3/4) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 211 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 128 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: Gb – Ab – Bbm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbBbm- GbGb · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbmBb · Db · F
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Questions about Pure Imagination
What chords are in Pure Imagination?
The loop is Ebm7 – Ab7 – Db (iv7 – VII7 – III) in Bb minor, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Bbm.
What key is Pure Imagination in?
Bb minor, at about 128 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Pure Imagination?
Moonlit climb: broken chord 1-5-7 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pure Imagination easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 3 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Pure Imagination?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.