Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Mood Indigo on piano
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1931
- Easy
Learn Mood Indigo in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – Ab – Ebm – Ab7
Mood Indigo sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Ebm is Eb, Gb and Bb; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7V7AbIEbmvAb7I7- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbmEb · Gb · Bb
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Soft chords
Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Mood Indigo
What chords are in Mood Indigo?
The loop is Eb7 – Ab – Ebm – Ab7 (V7 – I – v – I7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Mood Indigo in?
Ab major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Mood Indigo?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mood Indigo 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 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.