Piano chords · Old-time stride
How to play Three Little Fishies on piano
By Saxie Dowell
- F major
- 2/2
- 140 BPM
- 1939
- Easy
Learn Three Little Fishies in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Bb – Db7 – F
Three Little Fishies sits in F major: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Bb is Bb, D and F; Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIBbIVDb7bVI7FI- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- 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: the chords, held
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 140 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: Bb – C – F
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCF- CC · E · G
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Questions about Three Little Fishies
What chords are in Three Little Fishies?
The loop is F – Bb – Db7 – F (I – IV – bVI7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Three Little Fishies in?
F major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Three Little Fishies?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Three Little Fishies 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.