Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
1 + 1: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Christopher Stewart & others
- G major
- 12/8
- 69 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 2011
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany 1 + 1 without reading music. The left hand plays slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)), and the right hand sings the tune.
1 + 1 accompaniment in letter notes
The C – G – C – G loop with slow-dance heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
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Questions about 1 + 1
What are the letter notes for the 1 + 1 piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is C – G – C – G, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in 1 + 1?
The loop is C – G – C – G (IV – I – IV – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is 1 + 1 in?
G major, at about 69 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in 1 + 1?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is 1 + 1 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.