How to play Jeep’s Blues on piano

Written by Johnny Hodges & Duke Ellington

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Jeep’s Blues in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F7 – Bb7 – Bbm – F7
How it goes
Jeep’s Blues sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7I7Bb7IV7BbmivF7I7
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- BbmBb · Db · F
2
Left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat
How it goes
Four slow, deep beats under a swaying fifties ballad. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 134 songs of the library.
Slow-dance heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · 50s doo-wopLeft handEasy
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 108 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: Bb – C – F
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF
- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- FF · A · C

What chords are in Jeep’s Blues?

The loop is F7 – Bb7 – Bbm – F7 (I7 – IV7 – iv – I7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is Jeep’s Blues in?

F major, at about 108 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Jeep’s Blues?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Jeep’s 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.