Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play The Happy Wanderer on piano
Written by Friedrich Moeller
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1954
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn The Happy Wanderer in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F7 – Bb – Eb – Cm
How it goes
The Happy Wanderer sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
F7V7BbIEbIVCmii- F7F · A · C · Eb
- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Stride jumps
How it goes
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 bells
How it goes
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. 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: Bb – F7 – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbF7Bb
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Questions about The Happy Wanderer
What chords are in The Happy Wanderer?
The loop is F7 – Bb – Eb – Cm (V7 – I – IV – ii) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is The Happy Wanderer in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in The Happy Wanderer?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Happy Wanderer 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.