Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Phonograph Blues on piano
Written by Robert Johnson
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1978
- Medium
Learn Phonograph Blues in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C7 – F – C7 – G7
Phonograph Blues sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7FIVC7I7G7V7- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wake-and-run chords
One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Phonograph Blues
What chords are in Phonograph Blues?
The loop is C7 – F – C7 – G7 (I7 – IV – I7 – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Phonograph Blues in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Phonograph Blues?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Phonograph Blues 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.