Piano chords · Old-time stride

How to play All Through The Night on piano

By Welsh Folksong

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn All Through The Night in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: F – Bb – F – G – C – F – Gm7 – C7 – F
All Through The Night sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIBbIVFIGIICVFIGm7ii7C7V7FI
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
- C7C · E · G · Bb
2
Left hand: Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Oom-pahStride & boom-chick · StrideLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Steady chordsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 84 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
5
Ending: Bb – C7 – F
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbC7F

What chords are in All Through The Night?

The loop is F – Bb – F – G – C – F – Gm7 – C7 – F (I – IV – I – II – V – I – ii7 – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C7 – F.

What key is All Through The Night in?

F major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in All Through The Night?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is All Through The Night easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 9 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of All Through The Night?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.