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Alexander’s Ragtime Band: piano accompaniment sheet music

By Irving Berlin

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 100 BPM
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Island seesawRight hand Hopscotch chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

Play the full song with sheet music

Alexander’s Ragtime Band written out as piano music: the I – I7 – IV – ii7 – III7 – V7 – I loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays island seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-1) and the right hand hopscotch chords.

Alexander’s Ragtime Band chord chart

The loop once round, bar by bar, in C major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.

BarChordNumeralNotes
1CIC E G
2C7I7C E G Bb
3FIVF A C
3Dm7ii7D F A C
4E7III7E G# B D
4G7V7G B D F

What the sheet music shows

The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: island seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-1) in the left hand and hopscotch chords in the right, over the C – C – C7 – F – Dm7 – E7 – G7 chords.

Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.

To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.

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Questions about Alexander’s Ragtime Band

Does the sheet music for Alexander’s Ragtime Band have finger numbers?

Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.

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.