Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Gulf Coast Blues: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Bessie Smith
- C major
- 4/4
- 93 BPM
- 1923
- Easy
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 Gulf Coast Blues without reading music. The left hand plays rock’n’roll climb (broken chord 1-3-5-6) and the right hand push chords.
Gulf Coast Blues accompaniment in letter notes
The G7 – A7 – D7 – G7 loop with rock’n’roll climb in the left hand and push chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
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 Gulf Coast Blues
What are the letter notes for the Gulf Coast Blues 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 G7 – A7 – D7 – G7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Gulf Coast Blues?
The loop is G7 – A7 – D7 – G7 (V7 – VI7 – II7 – V7) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is Gulf Coast Blues in?
C major, at about 93 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Gulf Coast Blues?
Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Gulf Coast 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.