Boogie-Woogie Bass on Piano
Boogie-woogie is a rolling left hand from the blues: on each chord it rocks between two shapes, the root with its fifth and the root with its sixth, with a swing. Rock and roll took it straight from the piano. Start with that rock between the fifth and the sixth over one chord, then play it through the 12-bar blues.
Start with Rock’n’roll rocker, the one most songs use.
Patterns
Songs that use boogie-woogie bass
- The Man Who Sold The WorldNirvana
- Marry YouBruno Mars
- Three Little BirdsBob Marley
- Mess AroundRay Charles
- Juicy WiggleRedfoo
- Walk Of LifeDire Straits
- Great Balls Of FireJerry Lee Lewis
- Fast As YouDwight Yoakam
- Hey BulldogThe Beatles
- I Saw Her Standing ThereThe Beatles
- Long Tall SallyLittle Richard
- Bennie And The JetsElton John
- HelloLionel Richie
- BoysThe Beatles
- It's My LifeTalk Talk
- Rockin' All Over The WorldStatus Quo
- Good TimesChic
- Burning LoveElvis Presley
- I've Dreamed Of YouAnn Hampton Callaway
- Georgia On My MindRay Charles
Questions
What is a boogie-woogie bass?
A repeating left-hand line of the blues and rock and roll. On each chord it moves between the root with its fifth and the root with its sixth, in a swing rhythm.
Is boogie-woogie hard to play?
It is an intermediate left hand. Learn it over one chord at 60% speed first, then over the 12-bar blues.
Which songs use boogie-woogie bass?
The Man Who Sold The World by Nirvana, Marry You by Bruno Mars and Three Little Birds by Bob Marley use boogie-woogie bass. The songs on this page all use it, the most played first.