Nathaniel School of Music

How to Play Bulleya on Piano (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil): Every Section

Bulleya is played in D minor on piano, with verse 1 built on Dm, F, Bb and Gm, a turnaround through Eb major and Asus4 into the chorus, and every section starting from the home chord of D minor.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 17 min

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Key points

This lesson walks you through the whole of Bulleya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil on piano. Jason Zac maps out the song's three verses, the chorus, the outro and the famous instrumental hook, so you can play it from start to finish. It suits pianists who already know basic major and minor chords and want to play a full Bollywood song.

The Song Map

Bulleya is unusual for a pop song: it has three different verses and one chorus. Verses 2 and 3 each lead back into verse 1, which then goes to the chorus. The outro is essentially the chorus again, with the singer improvising over it.

The song is in D minor, and every section starts on a D minor chord. If you get lost, return to D minor and use your ear to find your place again.

Verse 1

The main verse uses four chords, played twice:

Then comes a turnaround: Eb major (Eb G Bb) followed by A suspended 4 (A D E). Eb is not in the D minor scale, so it briefly takes the music somewhere unstable. The Asus4 builds anticipation for the chorus. A suspended 4 chord is a major chord with the 3rd raised to the perfect 4th, so instead of A C# E you play A D E.

The Chorus and Rhythm Pattern

The chorus also sits on D minor and uses simpler chords, starting from D minor and F. Jason plays it with a guitar-like eighth-note pattern, counted 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. This rhythm works across the whole song, but you may want to keep the verses softer and save the full pattern for the chorus.

Verse 2

Verse 2 has a different melody and new chords:

  1. D minor for 4 counts, then D minor for 2 more counts, then C major.
  2. G minor, then Bb major for 2 counts.
  3. F major 7 (F A C E), an F major chord with a major 7th added.

The second half changes slightly: D minor, F major, D minor, A minor, G minor, Bb major, ending with G minor, Bb, F major 7. Then go back to verse 1.

Verse 3 (Female Verse)

This verse is mellow, so avoid playing too rhythmically. It has more chords: D minor (4 counts), G minor (4 counts), then C, F, Bb, F, Bb, G minor and A. There is a humming, instrumental line over G minor and A. The pattern repeats almost the same way, and you hold the A chord a little before returning to verse 1.

The Outro

The last chorus becomes heavier, with repeated words and vocal improvisation. The chords are D minor, F, Bb major, G minor, A minor, C major, then G major with B in the bass (G/B), ending on Bb major.

The Hook

The instrumental hook plays over F, Bb, G minor and Bb. In the original, the line is played on guitar and is awkward on piano in D minor because of the Bb, so Jason uses a slightly modified version that sits better under the fingers. The phrase repeats, then is shortened to feel faster.

How to Practise

Questions about this lesson

What key is Bulleya in on piano?

In this lesson Bulleya is played in D minor. Every section starts on D minor, so it acts as the home chord.

What are the chords for the Bulleya verse?

Verse 1 uses D minor, F major, Bb major and G minor, played twice. It then moves to Eb major and A suspended 4 before the chorus.

What is the Asus4 chord in Bulleya?

Asus4 is an A major chord with the 3rd replaced by the perfect 4th, so it is played A D E. It creates anticipation leading into the chorus.

Why does the Eb chord sound so different in Bulleya?

Eb major is not in the D minor scale, so it briefly makes the music unstable. That sense of moving to another world makes the transition to the chorus more striking.

Practise it

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