Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Crazy Blues on piano
By Perry Bradford
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 2009
- Medium
Learn Crazy Blues in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – F – C7 – F
Crazy Blues sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7V7FIC7V7FI- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Push chords
Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – C7 – F
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FC7F
Play next
Questions about Crazy Blues
What chords are in Crazy Blues?
The loop is C7 – F – C7 – F (V7 – I – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on F – C7 – F.
What key is Crazy Blues in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Crazy Blues?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Crazy Blues 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.