Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play I Want To Be Happy on piano
By Irving Caesar
- C major
- 2/2
- 140 BPM
- ii–V7–ii–V7 loop
- 1924
- Easy
Learn I Want To Be Happy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – G7 – Dm – G7
I Want To Be Happy sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiG7V7DmiiG7V7- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Boom-chick
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 762 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: C – G7 – C
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C- CC · E · G
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Questions about I Want To Be Happy
What chords are in I Want To Be Happy?
The loop is Dm – G7 – Dm – G7 (ii – V7 – ii – V7) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is I Want To Be Happy in?
C major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in I Want To Be Happy?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Want To Be Happy 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.