Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Purple Rain on piano
By Prince
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 56 BPM
- 1984
- Medium
Learn Purple Rain in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Eb – Bb – Gm7
Purple Rain sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIVEbIVBbIGm7vi7- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 56 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
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Questions about Purple Rain
What chords are in Purple Rain?
The loop is Eb – Eb – Bb – Gm7 (IV – I – vi7 – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Purple Rain in?
Bb major, at about 56 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Purple Rain?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Purple Rain 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Purple Rain?
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.