Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Basin Street Blues on piano

By Spencer Williams

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Basin Street Blues in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: D7 – G7 – G7 – C7
Basin Street Blues sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7III7G7VI7G7VI7C7II7
- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
2
Left hand: Jazz walk
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Jazz walkWalking bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 160 BPM
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 – F7 – Bb
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbF7Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- F7F · A · C · Eb

What chords are in Basin Street Blues?

The loop is D7 – G7 – G7 – C7 (III7 – VI7 – II7 – III7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.

What key is Basin Street Blues in?

Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Basin Street Blues?

Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Basin Street Blues easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Basin Street Blues?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.