PianoChords.studio

My Babe by Willie Dixon

Piano chords, voicings & structure breakdown · 15 steps · 4 unique chords

IntroStep 1 of 15

E

LeftE2, B2RightB3, E4, G♯4
C4E2B2B3E4G♯4
Left hand Right hand Middle C (C4)

No source cited for this step

Harmonic Analysis & Structure

Overview

Key: E major · Chords used: 4 · Sections: 8

Form: Intro → A Section → A Section ×5 → A Section

Where these chords come from: a chord chart of this song written by a musician and shared on the iReal Pro forums, archived in the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). It's one musician's reading of the song, not a transcription checked against the recording. This page shows that chart as-is: the analysis below is generated directly from it by code, not written by AI. Consecutive repeats of a chord are shown once, and the piano voicings are our playable arrangement of each chord symbol, not a note-for-note transcription.

Section by section

Intro

  • E
    I

A Section 1

  • E – B7 – E7 – A – E – B7 – E
    I – V7 – I7 – IV – I – V7 – I

A Section 2

Same chords as A Section 1.

A Section 3

Same chords as A Section 1.

A Section 4

Same chords as A Section 1.

A Section 5

Same chords as A Section 1.

A Section 6

Same chords as A Section 1.

A Section 7

  • E – B7 – E7 – A
    I – V7 – I7 – IV
  • E – B7 (×3)
    I – V7
  • E
    I

Chord vocabulary

ChordRoman numeralRoleHeard in
EIHome chord (tonic)Intro, A Section
B7V7In the keyA Section
E7I7Secondary dominant (V/IV)A Section
AIVIn the keyA Section

Harmonic highlights

  • E7 acts as V/IV: it resolves to A.

Sources & accuracy

  • Chords: the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). Community chord chart “My Babe” (credited “Composer Unknown”, style Blues Shuffle) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata.
  • Section names: from the chart's own markings: section names written on the chart (Intro, Verse, Chorus…) are kept, and rehearsal letters are shown as “A Section”, “B Section” and so on (the B of an AABA song is called the Bridge).
  • Cross-check: the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). Community chord chart “My Babe - Flinner” (credited “Little Walter Jacobs”, style Pop - Shuffle) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata. A separately posted chart of the same song; its chords match this page's closely when both are read in the same key (similarity 100%).
  • Chord charts are often written in a key that suits a particular singer or band, so this may not be the key of the original recording.
  • About the song: Wikipedia.
  • Verified: two community charts of this song, posted in different forum threads, agree on its harmony. They're still charts, not transcriptions checked against the recording.
  • Rhythm and chord durations aren't shown; each step is one chord change.

Sources & Accuracy

Every chord on this page comes from the community chart listed first below. Piano voicings are our arrangement of the reported chord symbols, not a note-for-note transcription.

  • Chords from a chart a musician wrote and shared on the iReal Pro forums (archived in the ChoCo research dataset); may be in a different key from the recording, and not checked against it.

    Community chord chart “My Babe” (credited “Composer Unknown”, style Blues Shuffle) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata.

  • Chords from a chart a musician wrote and shared on the iReal Pro forums (archived in the ChoCo research dataset); may be in a different key from the recording, and not checked against it.

    Community chord chart “My Babe - Flinner” (credited “Little Walter Jacobs”, style Pop - Shuffle) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata. A separately posted chart of the same song; its chords match this page's closely when both are read in the same key (similarity 100%).

All Piano Voicings

#SectionChordLeft handRight handSources
1IntroEE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—
2A Section 1EE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—
3A Section 1B7B1, F♯2A3, D♯4, F♯4—
4A Section 1E7E2, B2B3, D4, G♯4—
5A Section 1AA2, E3C♯4, E4, A4—
6A Section 1EE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—
7A Section 1B7B1, F♯2A3, D♯4, F♯4—
8A Section 1EE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—
9A Section 7, part 1EE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—
10A Section 7, part 1B7B1, F♯2A3, D♯4, F♯4—
11A Section 7, part 1E7E2, B2B3, D4, G♯4—
12A Section 7, part 1AA2, E3C♯4, E4, A4—
13A Section 7, part 2 (×3)EE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—
14A Section 7, part 2 (×3)B7B1, F♯2A3, D♯4, F♯4—
15A Section 7, part 3EE2, B2B3, E4, G♯4—