Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Little Girl Blue on piano
By Janis Joplin
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Little Girl Blue in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db – Eb – Db – Ab
How it goes
Little Girl Blue sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db is Db, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DbIVEbVDbIVAbI- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 60 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 – Eb7 – Ab
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbEb7Ab- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
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Questions about Little Girl Blue
What chords are in Little Girl Blue?
The loop is Db – Eb – Db – Ab (IV – V – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Eb7 – Ab.
What key is Little Girl Blue in?
Ab major, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Little Girl Blue?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Little Girl 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.