Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Beautician Blues on piano
Written by B.B. King & Jules Bihari
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- IV7–I7–V7–IV7 loop
- 1964
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Beautician Blues in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Db7
How it goes
Beautician Blues sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Db7IV7Ab7I7Eb7V7Db7IV7- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
How it goes
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Jump-in chords
How it goes
Jumps in just after beat 1, pumps through, and stops before the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Db – Eb – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about Beautician Blues
What chords are in Beautician Blues?
The loop is Db7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Db7 (IV7 – I7 – V7 – IV7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Beautician Blues in?
Ab major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Beautician Blues?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Beautician Blues 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.