Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Minor Mood on piano
By Clifford Brown
- C minor
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1957
- Easy
Learn Minor Mood in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Dm – G7 – Cm
Minor Mood sits in C minor: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiDmiiG7V7Cmi- CmC · Eb · G
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Jazz walk
One note per beat, strolling like a jazz bassist. Musicians call it walking bass (walking bass), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sprint-and-stop chords
Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 BPM
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 – Bb – Cm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbCm- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Minor Mood
What chords are in Minor Mood?
The loop is Cm – Dm – G7 – Cm (i – ii – V7 – i) in C minor, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Cm.
What key is Minor Mood in?
C minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Minor Mood?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Minor Mood 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.