Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Cocaine Blues on piano
Artist unknown
- D major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- Easy
Learn Cocaine Blues in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D – A – D – C
Cocaine Blues sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVDICbVII- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Tumble down
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 635 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: E7 – A7 – D
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
E7A7D- E7E · G# · B · D
- A7A · C# · E · G
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Questions about Cocaine Blues
What chords are in Cocaine Blues?
The loop is D – A – D – C (I – V – I – bVII) in D major, and the song ends on E7 – A7 – D.
What key is Cocaine Blues in?
D major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Cocaine Blues?
Tumble down: broken chord 8-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cocaine Blues easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.