Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Stella By Starlight on piano
By Victor Young
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 155 BPM
- 1946
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Stella By Starlight in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Em – A7 – Dm
How it goes
Stella By Starlight sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Em is E, G and B; A7 is A, C#, E and G; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEm#ivA7VII7Dmiii- BbBb · D · F
- EmE · G · B
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- 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: 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 155 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
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Questions about Stella By Starlight
What chords are in Stella By Starlight?
The loop is Bb – Em – A7 – Dm (I – #iv – VII7 – iii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Stella By Starlight in?
Bb major, at about 155 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Stella By Starlight?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stella By Starlight 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.