Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Pure Smokey on piano
Written by George Harrison
- D major
- 2/2
- 110 BPM
- 1976
- Easy
Learn Pure Smokey in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – F#m – Em – Bm
Pure Smokey sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#; Em is E, G and B; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIF#miiiEmiiBmvi- DD · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- EmE · G · B
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Stair steps
Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm. Musicians call it broken chord 1-3-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 438 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: Bm – G – D
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BmGD- GG · B · D
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Questions about Pure Smokey
What chords are in Pure Smokey?
The loop is D – F#m – Em – Bm (I – iii – ii – vi) in D major, and the song ends on Bm – G – D.
What key is Pure Smokey in?
D major, at about 110 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Pure Smokey?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Pure Smokey 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.