Piano chords · Blues & boogie
St. Louis Blues: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By W.C. Handy
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1990
- Easy
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany St. Louis Blues without reading music. The left hand plays velvet jazz (lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3)) and the right hand wait-a-beat chords.
The main tune of St. Louis Blues in letter notes
The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.
St. Louis Blues accompaniment in letter notes
The D7 – C7 – Em7 – G – G – C – G loop with velvet jazz in the left hand and wait-a-beat chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
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Questions about St. Louis Blues
What are the letter notes for the St. Louis Blues piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is D7 – C7 – Em7 – G – G – C – G, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in St. Louis Blues?
The loop is D7 – C7 – Em7 – G – G – C – G (V7 – IV7 – vi7 – I – IV – I – V7) in G major, and the song ends on G – D – G.
What key is St. Louis Blues in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in St. Louis Blues?
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 St. Louis Blues easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of St. Louis Blues?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.