Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Happily Ever After on piano
Written by Mary Rodgers
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1959
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Happily Ever After in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Fm – Eb7 – Fm
How it goes
Happily Ever After sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C; Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIFmiiEb7I7Fmii- EbEb · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
How it goes
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
How it goes
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- AbAb · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Happily Ever After
What chords are in Happily Ever After?
The loop is Eb – Fm – Eb7 – Fm (I – ii – I7 – ii) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Happily Ever After in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Happily Ever After?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Happily Ever After 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.