Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play The Color Purple on piano

Artist unknown

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn The Color Purple in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – A7 – C – A7
The Color Purple sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; A7 is A, C#, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIA7VI7CIA7VI7
- CC · E · G
- A7A · C# · E · G
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Run-up chords
Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Run-up chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 67 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: C – F – C
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CFC
- FF · A · C

What chords are in The Color Purple?

The loop is C – A7 – C – A7 (I – VI7 – I – VI7) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.

What key is The Color Purple in?

C major, at about 67 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in The Color Purple?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is The Color Purple 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.