Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
How to play U Smile on piano
Artist unknown
- Eb major
- 12/8
- 114 BPM
- bVII–IV–I–bVII loop
- Easy
Learn U Smile in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Ab – Eb – Db
U Smile sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbbVIIAbIVEbIDbbVII- DbDb · F · Ab
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Rocking chair
Low, high, low, high, slow and swaying, like a rocking chair. Musicians call it rocking octaves (12/8) (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in 29 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-dance chords
Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 114 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: Db – Ab – Eb
The last chords are bVII – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbAbEb
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Questions about U Smile
What chords are in U Smile?
The loop is Db – Ab – Eb – Db (bVII – IV – I – bVII) in Eb major, and the song ends on Db – Ab – Eb.
What key is U Smile in?
Eb major, at about 114 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in U Smile?
Rocking chair: rocking octaves (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is U Smile 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.