Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Lady Blue on piano
Written by Leon Russell
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 77 BPM
- I–vi–iii–IV loop
- 1975
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Lady Blue in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ab – Fm – Cm – Db
How it goes
Lady Blue sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Cm is C, Eb and G; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbIFmviCmiiiDbIV- AbAb · C · Eb
- FmF · Ab · C
- CmC · Eb · G
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
How it goes
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 77 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: Ab – Db – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are I – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbDbAb
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Questions about Lady Blue
What chords are in Lady Blue?
The loop is Ab – Fm – Cm – Db (I – vi – iii – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Db – Ab.
What key is Lady Blue in?
Ab major, at about 77 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Lady Blue?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Lady Blue 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.