Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play When Sunny Gets Blue on piano
By Marvin Fisher
- F major
- 4/4
- 78 BPM
- 1956
- Easy
Learn When Sunny Gets Blue in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – D7 – Bm – Bbm
When Sunny Gets Blue sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Bm is B, D and F#; Bbm is Bb, Db and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmiiiD7VI7Bm#ivBbmiv- AmA · C · E
- D7D · F# · A · C
- BmB · D · F#
- BbmBb · Db · 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: Freeze-tag chords
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 78 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 – Eb – F
The last chords are I – bVII – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FEbF- FF · A · C
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about When Sunny Gets Blue
What chords are in When Sunny Gets Blue?
The loop is Am – D7 – Bm – Bbm (iii – VI7 – #iv – iv) in F major, and the song ends on F – Eb – F.
What key is When Sunny Gets Blue in?
F major, at about 78 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When Sunny Gets Blue?
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 When Sunny Gets Blue 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.