Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Blue Velvet on piano
By Bobby Vinton
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1951
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Blue Velvet in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Cm7 – F7 – Bbmaj7 – Bb – Cm7
How it goes
Blue Velvet sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bbmaj7 is Bb, D, F and A; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiiCm7ii7F7V7Bbmaj7Imaj7BbICm7ii7- DmD · F · A
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Bbmaj7Bb · D · F · A
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Rolling waves
How it goes
Rolls up to the high third and back down, like a wave on the shore. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 545 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Cm – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmF7Bb- CmC · Eb · G
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Questions about Blue Velvet
What chords are in Blue Velvet?
The loop is Dm – Cm7 – F7 – Bbmaj7 – Bb – Cm7 (iii – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – I – ii7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.
What key is Blue Velvet in?
Bb major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Blue Velvet?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Blue Velvet easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Blue Velvet?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.