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Albatross: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Judy Collins

  • C# minor
  • 3/4
  • 135 BPM
  • 1967
  • Easy
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Left hand Sliding twinsThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

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 Albatross without reading music. The left hand plays sliding twins (lh power fifths (3/4)), and the right hand sings the tune.

Albatross accompaniment in letter notes

The A – E – A – E loop with sliding twins in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
A
RA3+C#4+E4
LC#3+E3 B2+D3 A2+C#3
Bar 2
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LG#2+B2 F#2+A2 E2+G#2
Bar 3
A
RA3+C#4+E4
LC#3+E3 B2+D3 A2+C#3
Bar 4
E
RE4+G#4+B4 E4 G#4 B4 E5 G#5 B5 E6 G#6
LG#2+B2 F#2+A2 E2+G#2
Bar 5
A
RA3+C#4+E4
LC#3+E3 B2+D3 A2+C#3
Bar 6
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LG#2+B2 F#2+A2 E2+G#2
Bar 7
A
RA3+C#4+E4
LC#3+E3 B2+D3 A2+C#3
Bar 8
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LG#2+B2 F#2+A2 E2+G#2

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 Albatross

What are the letter notes for the Albatross 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 A – E – A – E, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Albatross?

The loop is A – E – A – E (bVI – bIII – bVI – bIII) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.

What key is Albatross in?

C# minor, at about 135 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Albatross?

Sliding twins: lh power fifths (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Albatross 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.