Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play My Defenses Are Down on piano
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 80 BPM
- 1946
- Easy
Learn My Defenses Are Down in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Dm – Cm – Bb
My Defenses Are Down sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Dm is D, F and A; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7DmiiiCmiiBbI- F7F · A · C · Eb
- DmD · F · A
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- 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: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 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: Bb – Ab – Bb
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbAbBb- AbAb · C · Eb
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Questions about My Defenses Are Down
What chords are in My Defenses Are Down?
The loop is F7 – Dm – Cm – Bb (V7 – iii – ii – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Ab – Bb.
What key is My Defenses Are Down in?
Bb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in My Defenses Are Down?
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 My Defenses Are Down 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.