Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Fool Around on piano
By The Fontane Sisters
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 1956
- Easy
Learn Fool Around in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – Eb – Eb7 – Ab
Fool Around sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CVIEbIEb7I7AbIV- CC · E · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Island seesaw
Low, high, low in the three-three-two island rhythm. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-1 (root–fifth bass), an easy pattern heard in 723 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Fool Around
What chords are in Fool Around?
The loop is C – Eb – Eb7 – Ab (VI – I – I7 – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Fool Around in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Fool Around?
Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Fool Around easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.