Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Smoke Gets in Your Eyes on piano
By Jerome Kern
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 70 BPM
- 1933
- Easy
Learn Smoke Gets in Your Eyes in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – F7 – Ab – Bb7
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiiF7V7AbbVIIBb7I7- CmC · Eb · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of 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 70 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- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
Play next
Questions about Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
What chords are in Smoke Gets in Your Eyes?
The loop is Cm – F7 – Ab – Bb7 (ii – V7 – bVII – I7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Smoke Gets in Your Eyes in?
Bb major, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Smoke Gets in Your Eyes?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 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.