Learn To Play Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

                                                 photo credit: Magical Surprise via photopin (license)

Harold Arlen wrote the music, along with the lyrics by Ted Koehler in 1931... a very popular song called Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea. It goes something like this hearing the instrumental version on YouTube.

Chords and Lyrics

Key: F

Time: 4/4

INTRO: 

F Gm7 C7 F Gm7 C7 F7 Bb Bbm F/C Fm6/C Gm7 C7 F

         F              F7

Is there anyone around who cannot the see

          Dm              Bbm   Gm7       C7 F

it's the well-known run-around you're giving me,

Gm7                       C7     F     Db7

I suppose you'll tell me I'm all wrong

       F                    F7

It's a bitter pill to take, coming from you,

          Dm             Bbm

tho' I've made a big mistake,

Gm7      C7 F

what can I do?

Gm7                         C7     F  C7#5

I don't know what makes me string along.

F Dm    Gm7       C7
I don't want you
F      Dm      Gm7   C7
But I'd hate to lose you
F7        Bb     Bbm6       F/C Fm6
You got me in between the devil and the
 Gm7 C7        F   C7
deep blue sea 

F    Gm7 C7

I forgive you

F                 Gm7  C7 
'Cause I can't forget you 

F7            Bb  Bbm6   F/C           Fm6/C
You've got me in between the devil and the 

Gm7   C7   F  E7  A6
deep blue sea 

A  F#m               Bm7      E7
I ought to cross you off my list
A             Adim         A   F7#5   E7 Am6
But when you come knocking at my door
C/G      Am              Fm6        
Fate seems to give my heart a twist
    Ab7                 Dm7b5 G  C7 
And I come running back for more 
F   Dm   Gm7  C7
I should hate you

F             Gm7  C7
But I guess I love you 

F7           Bb  Bbm6       F/C   Fm6/C
You've got me in between the devil and the 

Gm7  C7    F
deep blue sea 

Chords From The Song

(no particular order)

L.H. / R.H.

F = FF/FAC

F7 = FF/EbAF

F7#5 = FF/EbAC#

Fm6 = Ab/DFC

F/C = CC/FAC

Fm6/C = Ab/DFC

G7 = GD/BFG

Gm7 = GBb/DFC and GF/BbDG

C7 = CE/BbDG and CBb/EAD

C7#5 = C/BbEG#

Cdim7 = CA/EbF#C

C/G = GG/GCEG

Db7 = GG/DbFCb

Bb = BbF/DFC

Bbm = G/FBbDbF and BbBb/DbFA

Bbm6 = G/FBbDF

Bm7 = BB/ADF#A

Db7 = GG/DbFCb

Dm = DD/DFA

Dm7b5 = DD/CFAb

E7 = B/G#D and EE/DG#E

A = AE/C#EA

A6 = AA/G#C#E

Am6 = A/F#CE

Ab7 = AbEb/CGbEb

Adim = Eb/CF#A

A helpful resource to assist musicians, Back Pocket Band Software, has 350+ backing tracks. I have the software and it's great! Take a look at the Back Pocket Band Video

All the best,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

How To Form Basic Chords

I have a few piano students who are now playing songs from Fake Books, like Hal Leonard Scott The Piano Guy's Favorite Piano Fake Book Volume 2 . The kids know how to read notes and now they're applying their chord knowledge and playing popular songs with both hands. Here's some information I think you'll find very useful that every musician should know.

How To Form Basic Chords

Basic Chords and the Rules For Working Them Out

Although chord finders are valuable tools on the Internet, what do we do when we’re sitting at the piano and don’t have access to the computer, trying to figure out chords?

Here’s a breakdown on forming many chords you’ll use in your piano playing.

      Major

      Minor

      Dominant 7th

      Sus4

      Sus2 and add9

      Diminished

      Major Sevenths

Major Chords

Starting from the root note, count up FIVE semi-tones (5 half steps). Always use the root note when counting. This will bring you to the second note in the chord. From and including this note, count up FOUR semi-tones (4 half steps).  This will bring us to the final note in the chord.

Example: C Major - C is the root note in this chord. Count up 5 semi-tones from the C: C=1, C#= 2, D=3, Eb=4, E=5.  Then, count up 4 semi-tones from the second note in the chord: E=1, F=2, F#=3, G=4.  Play the C, E and G together and you have a C Major chord. By using this 'FIVE then FOUR' rule, you can work out any major chord.

Minor (m) Chords

For minor chords, simply reverse the rule for working out major chords. Instead of counting 5 then 4, count 4 then 5.

Example: C Minor - C is the root note in this chord. Count up 4 semi-tones from the C: C=1, C#=2, D=3, Eb=4.  Then, count up 5 semi-tones from the second note in the chord: Eb=1, E=2, F=3, F#=4, G=5.  Play the C, Eb and G together and you have a C Minor chord. By using this FOUR then FIVE' rule, you can work out any minor chord.

Dominant 7th (7) Chords

With 7th chords, you add an extra note onto the chord. This extra note is always the note two semi-tones (1 whole step) below the root note.  However, you don't play this note at the bottom of the chord - you simply move it to the top of the chord. 

Example: C7 – Form a C major chord... C, E, and G. The root note of this chord is C. Two semi-tones (1 whole step) below the root note is Bb.  Add this Bb to the top of the chord and we have a C7 chord- C, E, G and Bb. The same rule applies for working out minor 7th chords. 

Sus4 Chords

Example: Csus4

      Play C major - C, E, G

      Move the middle note of the chord UP one semi-tone (1 half-step). In this example, 

      Move E up one semi-tone. This brings us to F. Play the C, F and G together and 

      we have a Csus4 chord.

 Sus2 and add9 Chords

Sus2 Chords - Example: Csus

Play C major - C, E, G.

Move the middle note of the chord DOWN two semi-tones (1 whole step). In this example, move the E down two semi-tones. This brings us to D.

Play the C, D and G together and we have a Csus2 chord.

Add9 Chords - These chords are nearly identical to sus2 chords.  The only difference is, is that you play the middle note as well.  So, Cadd9 is made up of, C, D, E and G

Diminished (dim) Chords

Example:  Cdim

    

Play C major - C, E and G.

    

 Move the TOP TWO NOTES of the chord DOWN one semi-tone (1 half-step) - In this example, move the E and G down one semi-tone... this brings us to Eb and F#.

    

 Play the C, Eb and F# together and we have a Cdim chord.

Major Seventh (M7) Chords

These chords are used a lot in Jazz music. 

With major 7th chords, you add an extra note onto the chord.  This extra note is always the note ONE semi-tone (1 half-step) below the root note.  However, you don't play this note at the bottom of the chord - you simply move it to the top of the chord. 

Example: CM7 – Form a C major chord... C, E, and G. The root note of this chord is C. One semi-tone (1 half-step) below the root note is B. Add this B to the top of the chord and we have a CM7 chord...  C, E, G and B.

Now you have some music theory to apply to your piano playing. You now know how to form chords you’ll be using in your music.

I would like to recommend two resources that I personally own in my library that I refer to often:

Chords 101 & 102

300pg Piano By Ear Home Study Course

photo credit: F A C E via photopin (license)

All the best,






"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey