Left-hand pattern · Bossa beach
Lazy seesaw
A low note, a higher one, a gap, then the higher one again. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Lazy seesaw goes
One bar over a C chord: a row for each key, a column for each step, the finger on each note. Over another chord, move the same shape to its root.
Root–fifth bass: Two notes taking turns: the classic country and folk bass.
Songs with Lazy seesaw
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Lazy seesaw, from verse to chorus.
More two-step bass
All patternsQuestions about Lazy seesaw
What is Lazy seesaw on piano?
A low note, a higher one, a gap, then the higher one again. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5, one of the root–fifth bass patterns: two notes taking turns: the classic country and folk bass.
How do I play root–fifth 1-5-5 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then G3 (1), then G3 (1); the number after each note is the finger (1 is the thumb). Over any other chord, move the same shape to that chord's root.
What songs use Lazy seesaw?
It is heard in 520 songs of the library, as the main groove of 74 songs, such as How Far I'll Go, Stardust, Me And My Shadow, Homeward Bound.
Is Lazy seesaw easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 112 beats a minute.