Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Blue Christmas on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Blue Christmas in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bb – F7 – Bb – Bb7
How it goes
Blue Christmas sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIF7V7BbIBb7I7
- BbBb · D · F
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
37 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
How it goes
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pausing footstepsRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
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.
Hopscotch bellsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 120 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C

What chords are in Blue Christmas?

The loop is Bb – F7 – Bb – Bb7 (I – V7 – I – I7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Blue Christmas in?

Bb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Blue Christmas?

Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Blue Christmas 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.

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