Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C – Eb – F – C
How it goes
Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIEbbIIIFIVCI
- CC · E · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
15 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: Catch-up chords
How it goes
Two chords, a late one after beat 3, then a dash to catch up. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Catch-up chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 138 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
- GG · B · D

What chords are in Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)?

The loop is C – Eb – F – C (I – bIII – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) in?

C major, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)?

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 Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) 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.