Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Blue Monday on piano
Written by Antoine “Fats” Domino & Dave Bartholomew
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–I7–IV7–I loop
- 1957
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Blue Monday in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – C7 – F7 – C
How it goes
Blue Monday sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIC7I7F7IV7CI- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Chugging-train pulse
How it goes
Chugs along in quick even notes, then takes one tiny breath at the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 629 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
Play next
Questions about Blue Monday
What chords are in Blue Monday?
The loop is C – C7 – F7 – C (I – I7 – IV7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Blue Monday in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blue Monday?
Chugging-train pulse: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blue Monday 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.