Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Casey Jones on piano
- C major
- 4/4
- 96 BPM
- 1970
- Medium
Learn Casey Jones in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – F – Fsus4
Casey Jones sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G; Fsus4 is F, Bb and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIFIVFsus4IVsus4- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- Fsus4F · Bb · C
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Slow-down chords
Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 96 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: D7 – G7 – C
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
D7G7C- D7D · F# · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
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Questions about Casey Jones
What chords are in Casey Jones?
The loop is F – C – F – Fsus4 (IV – I – IV – IVsus) in C major, and the song ends on D7 – G7 – C.
What key is Casey Jones in?
C major, at about 96 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Casey Jones?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Casey Jones 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.