Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Spread A Little Happiness on piano
By Clifford Grey
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 1929
- Easy
Learn Spread A Little Happiness in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Bb
Spread A Little Happiness sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmiiBb7V7EbIBbV- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
Deep bass, then a chord in the middle: the left hand leaps. Musicians call it stride (stride & boom-chick), an easy pattern heard in 961 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 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: Eb – Bb – Eb
The last chords are I – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbBbEb
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Questions about Spread A Little Happiness
What chords are in Spread A Little Happiness?
The loop is Fm – Bb7 – Eb – Bb (ii – V7 – I – V) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb – Eb.
What key is Spread A Little Happiness in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Spread A Little Happiness?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Spread A Little Happiness 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.