Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Surefire on piano
By John Legend
- A major
- 2/2
- 138 BPM
- vi–IV–I–vi loop
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Surefire in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F#m – D – A – F#m
How it goes
Surefire sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F#mviDIVAIF#mvi- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- 2
Left hand: Open sky
How it goes
Root, fifth, then a high third: open and airy, the sound of a big sky. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 918 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
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 138 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#m – D – A
How it goes
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
F#mDA
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Questions about Surefire
What chords are in Surefire?
The loop is F#m – D – A – F#m (vi – IV – I – vi) in A major, and the song ends on F#m – D – A.
What key is Surefire in?
A major, at about 138 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Surefire?
Open sky: open arpeggio 1-5-10, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Surefire 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.