Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play The Swingin' Shepherd Blues on piano
By Moe Koffman
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1958
- Easy
Learn The Swingin' Shepherd Blues in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Bb7 – Eb – Gb7
The Swingin' Shepherd Blues sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Gb7 is Gb, Bb, Db and Fb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIBb7I7EbIVGb7bVI7- BbBb · D · F
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Gb7Gb · Bb · Db · Fb
- 2
Left hand: Happy wiggle
Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-6-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 165 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 140 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
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Questions about The Swingin' Shepherd Blues
What chords are in The Swingin' Shepherd Blues?
The loop is Bb – Bb7 – Eb – Gb7 (I – I7 – IV – bVI7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is The Swingin' Shepherd Blues in?
Bb major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Swingin' Shepherd Blues?
Happy wiggle: broken chord 1-5-6-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Swingin' Shepherd Blues 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.