How to Play Pasoori on Piano: Full Tutorial, All Sections
Pasoori is played on solo piano in B minor, built mainly on B minor, A major and F# major chords, with a tresillo-rhythm left hand in spread or stride voicings and an ornamented, vocal-style right-hand melody.
Key points
- Pasoori is in B minor, using mainly B minor, A major, D major, E minor and F# (the dominant).
- Start the left hand with block chords, then move to low spread voicings or stride in a tresillo rhythm.
- Ornament the melody with slides, turns and trills, and vary the volume of repeated notes like the singers do.
- The pre-chorus is B minor, D major, A major, B minor with simple roots and octaves in the bass.
- Learn the chorus first, then the other sections at your own pace.
What this lesson teaches
This lesson walks through Jason Zac's solo piano arrangement of the Coke Studio Pakistan song Pasoori. There are no vocals: the piano carries the melody, the harmony and the groove. It suits intermediate players who can already play a melody against simple left-hand chords and want to learn a full song, section by section.
The song is in B minor. Most sections use a small set of chords: B minor (the tonic), A major, D major, E minor and F# major (the dominant, V), sometimes as F#7.
The chorus first
The chorus is taught first because it is the most recognisable part. Its first two lines are almost a carbon copy of each other.
- Melody: keep a dancey feel and copy the singer as closely as you can. Where the singers harmonise, harmonise your right hand too.
- Block chords: start with simple left-hand blocks: B minor, A major, then F# leading back to B minor.
- Ornaments: on the repeat, add the vocal slides, turns and a quick pinky-to-ring-finger trill so the melody does not sound flat.
Left-hand pattern 1: spread voicings
Close triads played below middle C quickly sound muddy. Instead, spread each chord out low in the left hand. For B minor, play B, F# and D upwards from the bass rather than a tight B D F# cluster. Play these in the song's tresillo rhythm, the 3+3+2 salsa-style pulse you also hear in many pop songs.
Left-hand pattern 2: stride
In stride, alternate a low root with a chord (root, chord, chord, root, chord…), still following the tresillo shape. On the last two chords of the line, return to spread voicings so the melody does not clash with the harmony. If both patterns feel hard, a simple arpeggio is a fine stepping stone.
Pre-chorus
All the pre-choruses share the same chords: B minor, D major, A major, B minor. The left hand plays just single roots and octaves, giving a breakdown or drop feel, and the section ends on a quick B minor flam before the chorus.
Verses and licks
Verse 1 (male vocal) moves between B minor and F#, with inversions to keep the hand close, then A major and F#7. The melody has many repeated notes: do not play them all at the same volume. Listen to the original, soften the passing notes and stress only the landing notes.
A short right-hand lick follows the first chorus. Verse 2 (female vocal) uses the same chords with a new melody. In its second half both voices sing together, so play both lines on the piano over a spread left hand.
Sitar solo and bridge
The sitar solo sits over B minor, so simple roots are enough in the left hand. Add a sitar-like trill, and optionally harmonise it. It then moves through E minor and F# major back to B minor into the bridge.
Play the bridge melody high on the keyboard for a sweet sound, with a steady triplet bass in spread voicings. Copy the backing instruments with a tremolo, shaking quickly between the root and its octave. In the a cappella part, add a third to every melody note, then repeat the earlier lines an octave lower. A vocal lick and a synth line of B, G, F# lead back to the verse reprise, pre-chorus and final chorus.
Ending and intro
End on B minor coloured with C# and A#, giving a minor-major seventh sound. The intro uses long bass octaves through B minor and D major, a C#m7b5 chord (C# E G B), then a tresillo groove on B minor, low and then high.
How to practise
Spend a day or a week on the chorus alone, then add other sections. Taking a month or more to learn the whole song is fine. Work slowly, section by section, and keep going back to the original recording for the vocal phrasing.
Questions about this lesson
What key is Pasoori in on piano?
In this arrangement Pasoori is in B minor. F# major acts as the dominant chord that leads back to B minor.
What are the chorus chords of Pasoori?
The chorus moves through B minor and A major, then F# major back to B minor. Beginners can play these as simple left-hand block chords first.
Why use spread voicings in the left hand?
Close triads played low on the piano, below middle C, tend to sound muddy. Spreading the notes, such as B, F# and D for B minor, gives depth without the muddiness.
How long should it take to learn Pasoori on piano?
Spend a day or a week on the chorus first. Taking around a month or more for the whole song is perfectly fine.
Practise it
- Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
- Rhythm TeacherBuild accent patterns, divide beats and explore odd metres and polyrhythms.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
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