Blue Moon Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Blue Moon in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Eb – Cm7 – Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Cm – Fm – Bb7
How it goes
Blue Moon sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbICm7vi7FmiiBb7V7EbICmviFmiiBb7V7
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- CmC · Eb · G
34 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rocket sweep
How it goes
Climbs two octaves in two big leaps, soaring like a rocket. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 1-5-8-8-12-15 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 140 songs of the library.
Rocket sweepWide arpeggio · Film scoreLeft handTricky
3
Right hand: Double-clap chords
How it goes
Quick double claps on beats 2 and 4, leaving beats 1 and 3 empty. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Double-clap chordsSyncopated 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 – Ab – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAbEb
- AbAb · C · Eb

What chords are in Blue Moon?

The loop is Eb – Cm7 – Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Cm – Fm – Bb7 (I – vi7 – ii – V7 – I – vi – ii – V7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab – Eb.

What key is Blue Moon in?

Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Blue Moon?

Rocket sweep: wide arpeggio 1-5-8-8-12-15, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Blue Moon easy to play on piano?

It is a tricky one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of Blue Moon?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.