Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Smoke + Mirrors on piano
Written by Daniel Reynolds, Daniel Sermon & others
- C major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- I–V–vi–I loop
- 2015
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Smoke + Mirrors in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – G – Am – C
How it goes
Smoke + Mirrors sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVAmviCI- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- 2
Left hand: Double island pulse
How it goes
The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 122 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
How it goes
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
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Questions about Smoke + Mirrors
What chords are in Smoke + Mirrors?
The loop is C – G – Am – C (I – V – vi – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Smoke + Mirrors in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Smoke + Mirrors?
Double island pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Smoke + Mirrors 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.