Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – G – Am – Em7 – F – C – G
How it goes
I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: C is C, E and G; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Em7 is E, G, B and D; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIGVAmviEm7iii7FIVCIGV
- CC · E · G
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- Em7E · G · B · D
- FF · A · C
384 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
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.
Rock’n’roll rockerBoogie & shuffle · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handMedium
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 117 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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC

What chords are in I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues?

The loop is C – G – Am – Em7 – F – C – G (I – V – vi – iii7 – IV – I – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues in?

C major, at about 117 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in I Guess That’s Why They Call It The 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 I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues easy to play on piano?

It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.

Can I hear the real melody of I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.