Tag: easy blues piano

Are you a beginner pianist with a passion for the blues? Delving into the world of blues music can be incredibly rewarding and playing it yourself adds a whole new layer of enjoyment to the experience.  If the thought of playing blues music feels daunting due to your limited experience on the keys, you’re not alone. Doubt may creep in, but let’s set that aside for now and explore some simple concepts together. Let’s get a handle on some easy blues piano chords…

Easy Blues Piano Chords: The Basics

At the core of blues music are three fundamental chords, all of which are 7th chords. In the key of C Blues, these chords are:

• C7
• F7
• G7

That’s all there is to it!

Now, let’s not get bogged down in theory just yet. The goal here isn’t to overwhelm you with technical explanations but to get you playing. Think back to when you first learned to speak; you didn’t start with grammar rules, did you? You simply made sounds, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do with the piano.

Let’s Turn These Chords into Voicings

The chords we’ve mentioned may not sound particularly captivating when played in a basic manner. That’s where chord voicings come in – they add depth and richness to your playing. But don’t worry about the terminology for now; let’s focus on action.

Take a look at the three positions below and place your left-hand fingers accordingly:

Position #1

Position #2

Position #3

Your task is to become comfortable playing these structures with your left hand. Start by playing Position #1, then #2, then #3.

Once you feel at ease, practice playing them in the following sequence:

1. Position #1
2. Position #2
3. Position #1 again
4. Position #3
5. Position #2 again
6. Position #1 again

Repeat this sequence until it becomes second nature. Don’t worry about theory – just mimic the illustrations and play them on your piano or keyboard.

Check Out this Quick Demo:

When you’ve mastered these structures, you’ve already made significant progress! You’re ready to play these chord voicings through the entire 12 bar blues form:

C7  /  C7  /  C7  /  C7  /
F7  /  F7  /  C7  /  C7  /
G7  /  F7  /  C7  /  C7  /

I’d love to hear about your experience. Are these chords sounding familiar to you? Are you encountering any challenges? Drop me an email with your thoughts, using “Blues Piano Lesson” in the subject line.

Ready to take your blues piano skills to the next level? Let’s dive in – it will be you and me, one-on-one.