Stormzy: “Paul McCartney gave me advice on piano chords, but I can’t play!”

21 June 2019, 18:34

The grime MC met the Beatles icon after a recent show and took the opportunity to ask him for advice – but he was too polite to mention his confusion over middle C...

Grime artist Stormzy has revealed that Beatles superstar Paul McCartney attempted to teach him how to play a few chords on a piano – but hadn’t counted on the fact the chart-topping rapper doesn't know one end of the instrument from another.

The ‘Blinded By Your Grace’ rapper met the legendary singer after he had played a show at London’s Abbey Road Studios, and asked him for advice as he is “working all the time on being respected as a songwriter.”

The 25-year-old told the audience: “He led me to a piano and started telling me how to use chords. It was an incredible experience, but I left it too late to tell him I can’t play the piano!”

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Stormzy added: “I was just so compelled, in the presence of someone that great, to get advice — anything for my career an OG like him can give me.

“But I know the stigma that comes with being a rapper, so I introduced myself as a songwriter: ‘Can you teach me something?’

“He went to the piano, and I just thought, ‘Shut up, listen.’ What he taught me was incredible. He said, ‘Use these three chords, and make any song.’ I was, like, ‘Flipping heck!'”

Paul McCartney added: “As a rapper, I thought he’d have words down, but there was a piano, so I showed him basic stuff – how you get middle C, make a chord, a triad and, just by moving that, get D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor, and how that’s enough for anyone.”

Stormzy has said that the lesson was “the honour of a lifetime”, and promised that he’s “going to mash it up.” We're pretty sure that’s a good thing.