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Always: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Gavin James

  • E major
  • 4/4
  • 120 BPM
  • 2018
  • Easy
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Left hand Island pulseThe right hand sings the tuneChords worked out from the notes of the famous part

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 Always without reading music. The left hand plays island pulse (root bass · tresillo 3-3-2), and the right hand sings the tune.

The main tune of Always 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
B → F#m7
RB4 C#5 E5 A4+C#5+F#5
LB3+F#4 B3+D#4
Bar 2
F#m → C#m
RE5 C#5 E5
LF#3+C#4 F#3+C#4
Bar 3
A → C#m
RC#5+E5+A5 C#5+E5+G#5
LA3+E4 A3
Bar 4
E
RB4+E5+G#5 B4+E5+F#5
LE4 E4 E4

Always accompaniment in letter notes

The B – F#m7 – F#m – C#m – A – C#m – E loop with island pulse in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
B → F#m7
RB3+D#4+F#4 F#4+A4+C#5
LB2 B2 F#2
Bar 2
F#m → C#m
RF#4+A4+C#5 C#4+E4+G#4
LF#2 F#2 C#3
Bar 3
A → C#m
RA3+C#4+E4 C#4+E4+G#4
LA2 A2 C#3
Bar 4
E
RE4+G#4+B4 C#4 D#4 E4 F#4 G#4 A4 B4 C#5
LE2 E2 E2
Bar 5
B → F#m7
RB3+D#4+F#4 F#4+A4+C#5
LB2 B2 F#2
Bar 6
F#m → C#m
RF#4+A4+C#5 C#4+E4+G#4
LF#2 F#2 C#3
Bar 7
A → C#m
RA3+C#4+E4 C#4+E4+G#4
LA2 A2 C#3
Bar 8
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LE2 E2 E2

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 Always

What are the letter notes for the Always 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 B – F#m7 – F#m – C#m – A – C#m – E, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Always?

The loop is B – F#m7 – F#m – C#m – A – C#m – E (V – ii7 – ii – vi – IV – vi – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.

What key is Always in?

E major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Always?

Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Always 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 Always?

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

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