Nathaniel School of Music

How to Play Kaisi Paheli Zindagani on Piano (Sunidhi Chauhan) – Full Tutorial

Kaisi Paheli Zindagani is played in Bb major with a swing feel: the intro uses Bb, Gm, Cm and F (a I-vi-ii-V), while the verse and chorus use two bars each of Bb, Cm7 and F7 before returning to Bb.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 14 min

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Key points

This lesson by Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music teaches the Sunidhi Chauhan song Kaisi Paheli Zindagani on piano: the swing rhythm, the jazzy chords, and the intro, verse, chorus and instrumental parts. It suits beginners who know basic triads and intermediate players who want a jazzier sound. Bass players can follow the left hand and guitarists the right hand.

The key: Bb major

The song is in Bb major, which has two flats: Bb and Eb. Every section starts on the Bb major chord. The chords come from the Bb major scale:

The song does not use all of these. It sticks to a neat, repeating progression.

The swing feel

The whole song swings. Instead of even eighth notes, the offbeat is pushed later. One way to feel it is to count triplets, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, and leave out the middle note. That gives the long-short bounce heard in blues, swing and jazz.

When counting, focus on beats 2 and 4 rather than all four. Snap your fingers on 2 and 4 while you hum the tune. Counting every beat evenly tends to kill the swing.

The introduction

The intro chords are Bb – Gm – Cm – F, a I-vi-ii-V progression that is very common in jazz. The song draws heavily on a Louis Armstrong number.

  1. Play the chords with the hands alternating, left then right, like marching with your hands.
  2. If you are at an intermediate stage, add an extra Bb in the left hand to push the swing feel.
  3. Play the C minor as Cm7 (C Eb G Bb) for a jazzier colour.
  4. The intro ends on F augmented. Take F major (F A C) and raise the fifth, so C becomes C#: F A C#. This gives a mysterious sound. Plain F major also works.

Verse and chorus

The verse and chorus share the same chords, two bars each:

Bb, Bb – Cm7, Cm7 – F7, F7 – Bb

F7 is F major with a flattened seventh: F A C Eb. The flat seventh adds to the jazzy sound.

The left-hand bass pattern

Here the chords change more slowly than in the intro, so the left hand carries the movement. Play the root, the chord, the root again, then the fifth. On Bb, that fifth is the F below Bb, not above it. Use the same idea on Cm7 and F7. The right hand keeps the same chord rhythm throughout.

The chorus stop

In the chorus, wait for the singer before you come in. At the very end of the chorus there is a clear stop, where everyone cuts out together. The lyrics change across the song, but the music stays almost identical.

The instrumental section

Horns play an instrumental melody, and a saxophone later plays the vocal melody. You can skip this and let someone else take it. If you play it, the melody starts over Bb major and includes a trill on A. It then moves over Eb major and F. In the left hand, play the roots, using a simple root-octave, root-octave pattern.

How to practise

Questions about this lesson

What key is Kaisi Paheli Zindagani in?

It is in Bb major, which has two flats, Bb and Eb. All sections of the song begin on the Bb major chord.

What are the chords for the verse and chorus of Kaisi Paheli Zindagani?

Both use two bars each of Bb, Cm7 and F7, then return to Bb. The chorus ends with a group stop.

How do I play a swing feel on piano?

Think of each beat as a triplet and leave out the middle note, so the offbeat lands late. Snapping on beats 2 and 4 while you hum the tune helps you feel the swing.

What is the F augmented chord at the end of the intro?

It is F major with its fifth raised a semitone, so C becomes C#, giving F A C#. It has a mysterious sound, though plain F major also works.

Practise it

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