Piano chords · Blues & boogie

How to play Woke Up This Morning on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Woke Up This Morning in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: C7 – F7 – C7 – G7
How it goes
Woke Up This Morning sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
C7I7F7IV7C7I7G7V7
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- G7G · B · D · F
40 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Jazz walk
How it goes
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: Pop stabs
How it goes
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pop stabsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 150 BPM
How it goes
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
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Woke Up This Morning?

The loop is C7 – F7 – C7 – G7 (I7 – IV7 – I7 – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Woke Up This Morning in?

C major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Woke Up This Morning?

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

Is Woke Up This Morning 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.