Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Blue Skies on piano
- D major
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- Medium
Learn Blue Skies in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A7 – D – F#7 – Bm
Blue Skies sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; D is D, F# and A; F#7 is F#, A#, C# and E; Bm is B, D and F#. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7V7DIF#7III7Bmvi- A7A · C# · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- F#7F# · A# · C# · E
- BmB · D · F#
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Groovy chords
Chords jump around the “ands” for a funky, dancing feel. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 110 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
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Questions about Blue Skies
What chords are in Blue Skies?
The loop is A7 – D – F#7 – Bm (V7 – I – III7 – vi) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Blue Skies in?
D major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blue Skies?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blue Skies 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.