Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Isfahan on piano
- Db major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1967
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Isfahan in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Bb – Bb7 – Eb7
How it goes
Isfahan sits in Db major: Db is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Bb is Bb, D and F; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIBbVIBb7VI7Eb7II7- DbDb · F · Ab
- BbBb · D · F
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
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: Bossa chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Gb – Ab – Db
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GbAbDb- GbGb · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
Play next
Questions about Isfahan
What chords are in Isfahan?
The loop is Db – Bb – Bb7 – Eb7 (I – VI – VI7 – II7) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Isfahan in?
Db major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Isfahan?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Isfahan 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.