Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play The Pearls on piano
By Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton
- G major
- 4/4
- 155 BPM
- 1923
- Easy
Learn The Pearls in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Eb7 – G – Eb7
The Pearls sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIEb7bVI7GIEb7bVI7- GG · B · D
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 155 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: G – D – G
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GDG- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about The Pearls
What chords are in The Pearls?
The loop is G – Eb7 – G – Eb7 (I – bVI7 – I – bVI7) in G major, and the song ends on G – D – G.
What key is The Pearls in?
G major, at about 155 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Pearls?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Pearls 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.