Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Stray Cat Strut on piano
Written by Brian Setzer
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1981
- Easy
Learn Stray Cat Strut in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Bb – Ab – G7
Stray Cat Strut sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmviBbVAbIVG7III7- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Wait-a-beat chords
Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 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: Ab – Bb – Eb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AbBbEb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Stray Cat Strut
What chords are in Stray Cat Strut?
The loop is Cm – Bb – Ab – G7 (vi – V – IV – III7) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is Stray Cat Strut in?
Eb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Stray Cat Strut?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stray Cat Strut 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.