Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Saturday Night Fish Fry on piano
Written by Ellis Walsh & Louis Jordan
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- i–bVI7–V7–i loop
- 1949
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Saturday Night Fish Fry in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bbm – Gb7 – F7 – Bbm
How it goes
Saturday Night Fish Fry sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Gb7 is Gb, Bb, Db and Fb; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbmiGb7bVI7F7V7Bbmi- BbmBb · Db · F
- Gb7Gb · Bb · Db · Fb
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Boogie walker
How it goes
A walking line that climbs and falls through the chord. Musicians call it boogie-woogie line (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 807 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Eager chords
How it goes
Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Saturday Night Fish Fry
What chords are in Saturday Night Fish Fry?
The loop is Bbm – Gb7 – F7 – Bbm (i – bVI7 – V7 – i) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Saturday Night Fish Fry in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Saturday Night Fish Fry?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Saturday Night Fish Fry 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.