Right-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
Pitter-patter
A chord, then one note pattering steadily like gentle rain. Musicians call it chord + repeated 5th, 8-5-5-5-5-5.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Pitter-patter 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.
Two-note ostinato: Two notes rocking back and forth in the right hand.
Songs with Pitter-patter
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Pitter-patter, from verse to chorus.
More twinkles & ticks
All patternsQuestions about Pitter-patter
What is Pitter-patter on piano?
A chord, then one note pattering steadily like gentle rain. Musicians call it chord + repeated 5th, 8-5-5-5-5-5, one of the two-note ostinato patterns: two notes rocking back and forth in the right hand.
How do I play chord + repeated 5th · 8-5-5-5-5-5 with the right hand?
Over C major it is E4 (1) + C5 (5), then G4 (2), then G4 (2), then G4 (2), then G4 (2), then G4 (2); 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 Pitter-patter?
It is heard in 15 songs of the library, such as A Fellow Needs A Girl, Superman, Despacito, I Need My Girl.
Is Pitter-patter easy?
It is a medium pattern, in 4/4, usually around 100 beats a minute.