Black Eyed Blues

Don Kendall

ModernObscureModerato4/4~3 min
H3
Henle (estimated)
RCM 3ABRSM 3

About this piece

Black Eyed Blues is a blues-influenced piano piece that blends standard popular song structures with jazz-inflected harmonies. Its distinctive feature is the reliance on 'blue' notes and swing-style syncopation.

Teacher notes

Focus on balancing the vocal-like melody against the supporting harmonic chords.

Technical focus

rubatoarticulationleft-hand-independence

Mood

melancholicnarrative

Listen & watch

No video available for this piece.

Your status

Not in your repertoire

Sign in to track this piece

Free sheet music on IMSLP

Pieces similar to Black Eyed Blues

Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.

Browse all Henle level 3 pieces (Late beginner) →

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Black Eyed Blues by Don Kendall?

Black Eyed Blues is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 3.

What level do I need to play Black Eyed Blues?

You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.

How long is Black Eyed Blues?

A typical performance of Black Eyed Blues lasts about 3 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Black Eyed Blues?

Black Eyed Blues is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.

What pieces are similar to Black Eyed Blues?

Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include 'Who Knows?' by Ernest Roland Ball, Canto del Bardo by José Ferrer, Blumenklage by Gustav Lange — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.