Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Rock drive

Blue Skies: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Irving Berlin

  • G major
  • 4/4
  • 132 BPM
  • 1927
  • Easy
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Style

Left hand Marching giantRight hand Steady chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Blue Skies without reading music. The left hand plays marching giant (lh triads) and the right hand steady chords.

The intro of Blue Skies in letter notes

The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Em
RG3+B3+E4 G3+B3 B3+E4+G4+B4 B3+E4+G4
LE2+E3 E3
Bar 2
B
RB3+D#4+G4 B3+D#4+G4 B3+D#4+A4 G4 B3+D#4+A4
LD#3
Bar 3
G
RB3+D4+G4+B4 B3+D4+G4 B3+E4+G4 B3+D4+G4
LD3
Bar 4
C#m7 → Cm
RB3+E4+F##4 B3+E4+F##4 A3+E4+A4 F##4 C4+G4+A4
LC#3 Eb2+Eb3

Blue Skies accompaniment in letter notes

The Em – B – G – C#m7 – Cm loop with marching giant in the left hand and steady chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Em
RG4+B4+E5 G4+B4+E5 G4+B4+E5 G4+B4+E5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 2
B
RD#4+F#4+B4 D#4+F#4+B4 D#4+F#4+B4 D#4+F#4+B4
LB3+D#4+F#4 B3+D#4+F#4 F#3+B3+D#4 F#3+B3+D#4
Bar 3
G
RB4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5
LG3+B3+D4 G3+B3+D4 D3+G3+B3 D3+G3+B3
Bar 4
C#m7 → Cm
RE4+G#4+C#5 E4+G#4+C#5 G#6 E6 C#6 B5 Ab5 G5 F#5 F5
LC#4+E4+G#4 C#4+E4+G#4 G#3+C#4+E4 G3+C4+Eb4
Bar 5
Em
RG4+B4+E5 G4+B4+E5 G4+B4+E5 G4+B4+E5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 6
B
RD#4+F#4+B4 D#4+F#4+B4 D#4+F#4+B4 D#4+F#4+B4
LB3+D#4+F#4 B3+D#4+F#4 F#3+B3+D#4 F#3+B3+D#4
Bar 7
G
RB4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5
LG3+B3+D4 G3+B3+D4 D3+G3+B3 D3+G3+B3
Bar 8
C#m7 → Cm
RE4+G#4+C#5 E4+G#4+C#5 E4+G#4+C#5 Eb4+G4+C5
LC#4+E4+G#4 C#4+E4+G#4 G#3+C#4+E4 G3+C4+Eb4

How to read the bar sheet

The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.

Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.

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Questions about Blue Skies

What are the letter notes for the Blue Skies piano accompaniment?

Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is Em – B – G – C#m7 – Cm, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Blue Skies?

The loop is Em – B – G – C#m7 – Cm (vi – III – I – #iv7 – iv) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.

What key is Blue Skies in?

G major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Blue Skies?

Marching giant: lh triads, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Blue Skies easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Blue Skies?

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

Made from 7 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.