Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Straighten Up And Fly Right on piano
- Ab major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- V7–I–IV–I loop
- 1944
- Medium
Learn Straighten Up And Fly Right in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb7 – Ab – Db – Ab
Straighten Up And Fly Right sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7V7AbIDbIVAbI- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Rock’n’roll rocker
The left hand rocks between two shapes, straight out of the 1950s. Musicians call it rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle (boogie & shuffle), a medium pattern heard in 262 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 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: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Straighten Up And Fly Right
What chords are in Straighten Up And Fly Right?
The loop is Eb7 – Ab – Db – Ab (V7 – I – IV – I) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Straighten Up And Fly Right in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Straighten Up And Fly Right?
Rock’n’roll rocker: rock’n’roll 5–6 shuffle, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Straighten Up And Fly Right 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.