Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Blessed Assurance on piano
By Phoebe P. Knapp
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- V7–I–IV–I loop
- 1983
- Medium
Learn Blessed Assurance in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – Ab – Db – Ab
Blessed Assurance sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7V7AbIDbIVAbI- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Bbm – Eb7 – Ab
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbmEb7Ab- BbmBb · Db · F
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Questions about Blessed Assurance
What chords are in Blessed Assurance?
The loop is Eb7 – Ab – Db – Ab (V7 – I – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Bbm – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is Blessed Assurance in?
Ab major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blessed Assurance?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blessed Assurance 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.