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Alexander’s Ragtime Band: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Irving Berlin

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 100 BPM
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Island seesawRight hand Hopscotch chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

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 Alexander’s Ragtime Band without reading music. The left hand plays island seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-1) and the right hand hopscotch chords.

The intro of Alexander’s Ragtime Band 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.

Bar 1
C
RG3+C4+E4 F#3+B3+Eb4 G3+C4+E4 C4+E4+G4
LC2+C3 G1+G2
Bar 2
C → C7
RG3+C4+E4 F#3+B3+Eb4 G3+C4+E4 Bb3+E4+G4
LC2+C3 C2+C3
Bar 3
F → Dm7
RC4+F4+A4 B3+E4+Ab4 C4+F4+A4 B4 C5 D5
LF2+F3 D2+D3
Bar 4
E7 → G7
RE4+G#4+D5+E5 G4+B4+F5+G5
LB2 G2 G1+G2

Alexander’s Ragtime Band accompaniment in letter notes

The C – C – C7 – F – Dm7 – E7 – G7 loop with island seesaw in the left hand and hopscotch chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
C
RE4+G4+C5 B3+E4+G4 B3+E4+G4
LC3 G3 C3
Bar 2
C → C7
RE4+G4+C5 B3+E4+G4 Bb3+E4+G4
LC3 G3 C3
Bar 3
F → Dm7
RA4+C5+F5 E4+A4+C5 C4+F4+A4
LF2 C3 D2
Bar 4
E7 → G7
RG#4+B4+D5+E5 D4+G#4+B4 F6 E6 D6 C6 B5 A5 G5 F5
LE2 B2 G2
Bar 5
C
RE4+G4+C5 B3+E4+G4 B3+E4+G4
LC3 G3 C3
Bar 6
C → C7
RE4+G4+C5 B3+E4+G4 Bb3+E4+G4
LC3 G3 C3
Bar 7
F → Dm7
RA4+C5+F5 E4+A4+C5 C4+F4+A4
LF2 C3 D2
Bar 8
E7 → G7
RG#4+B4+D5+E5 D4+G#4+B4 F4+B4+D5
LE2 B2 G2

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 Alexander’s Ragtime Band

What are the letter notes for the Alexander’s Ragtime Band 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 – C – C7 – F – Dm7 – E7 – G7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Alexander’s Ragtime Band?

The loop is C – C – C7 – F – Dm7 – E7 – G7 (I – I7 – IV – ii7 – III7 – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.

What key is Alexander’s Ragtime Band in?

C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Alexander’s Ragtime Band?

Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Alexander’s Ragtime Band easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Alexander’s Ragtime Band?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.