Piano chords · Rock drive
A Whiter Shade of Pale: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Keith Reid & Gary Brooker
- C major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 1967
- 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 A Whiter Shade of Pale without reading music. The left hand plays marching giant (lh triads) and the right hand heartbeat chords.
The intro of A Whiter Shade of Pale in letter notes
The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.
A Whiter Shade of Pale accompaniment in letter notes
The C – Em – Am – C – F – Am – Dm – F loop with marching giant in the left hand and heartbeat chords in the right. 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 A Whiter Shade of Pale
What are the letter notes for the A Whiter Shade of Pale 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 – Em – Am – C – F – Am – Dm – F, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in A Whiter Shade of Pale?
The loop is C – Em – Am – C – F – Am – Dm – F (I – iii – vi – I – IV – vi – ii – IV) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is A Whiter Shade of Pale in?
C major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in A Whiter Shade of Pale?
Marching giant: lh triads, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is A Whiter Shade of Pale easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of A Whiter Shade of Pale?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.