Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Blue Collar Man on piano
Written by Tommy Shaw
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1978
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Blue Collar Man in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Gm – C – Dm
How it goes
Blue Collar Man sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Gm is G, Bb and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmviGmiiCVDmvi- DmD · F · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Bossa seesaw
How it goes
Low-low, high-high in a laid-back Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-1-5-5 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 428 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hurrying chords
How it goes
Calm chords in the first half, then twice as fast to the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Blue Collar Man
What chords are in Blue Collar Man?
The loop is Dm – Gm – C – Dm (vi – ii – V – vi) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Blue Collar Man in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blue Collar Man?
Bossa seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blue Collar Man 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.