Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Blackbird on piano
By The Beatles
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1968
- Medium
Learn Blackbird in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Cm7 – Eb – F – C – Bb – Cm7 – Ebmaj7 – D7
Blackbird sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbbIIICm7iv7EbbVIFbVIICIVBbbIIICm7iv7Ebmaj7bVImaj7D7V7- BbBb · D · F
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- Ebmaj7Eb · G · Bb · D
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
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: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: C – D – G
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Blackbird
What chords are in Blackbird?
The loop is Bb – Cm7 – Eb – F – C – Bb – Cm7 – Ebmaj7 – D7 (bIII – iv7 – bVI – bVII – IV – bIII – iv7 – bVImaj7 – V7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Blackbird in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blackbird?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blackbird easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 9 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Blackbird?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.