Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play The Cure on piano
Written by Stefani Germanotta, Paul Blair & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- vi–IV–V–I loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Cure in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The Cure sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Db is Db, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviDbIVEbVAbI- FmF · Ab · C
- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Fluttering heartbeat
How it goes
A quick flutter before beat 2, then a push before beat 3. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 152 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 100 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb
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Questions about The Cure
What chords are in The Cure?
The loop is Fm – Db – Eb – Ab (vi – IV – V – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is The Cure in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Cure?
Fluttering heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Cure 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.