Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Blue Christmas on piano
- F major
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- 1948
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Blue Christmas in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Eb – Dm – C7
How it goes
Blue Christmas sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Dm is D, F and A; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7I7EbbVIIDmviC7V7- F7F · A · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- DmD · F · A
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 125 BPM
How it goes
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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Blue Christmas
What chords are in Blue Christmas?
The loop is F7 – Eb – Dm – C7 (I7 – bVII – vi – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Blue Christmas in?
F major, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blue Christmas?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blue Christmas easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Blue Christmas?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 9 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.