Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Oleo on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Oleo in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Gm – Cm – F7 – Bb
Oleo sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmviCmiiF7V7BbI
- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
35 songs go round the same chords
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.
Jazz walkWalking bass · Blues and boogie-woogieLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
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: Cm – F7 – Bb
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmF7Bb

What chords are in Oleo?

The loop is Gm – Cm – F7 – Bb (vi – ii – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – F7 – Bb.

What key is Oleo in?

Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Oleo?

Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Oleo 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.