Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Hanky Panky on piano
Written by Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich
- C major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1962
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Hanky Panky in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G7 – C – C7 – G7
How it goes
Hanky Panky sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G7 is G, B, D and F; C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
G7V7CIC7I7G7V7- G7G · B · D · F
- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
How it goes
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Freeze-tag chords
How it goes
Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 BPM
How it goes
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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Hanky Panky
What chords are in Hanky Panky?
The loop is G7 – C – C7 – G7 (V7 – I – I7 – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Hanky Panky in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hanky Panky?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hanky Panky easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.