Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Big Bad John: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Jimmy Dean
- C major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- bVII–I–bVII–I loop
- 1961
- Easy
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 Big Bad John without reading music. The left hand plays island zigzag (broken chord 8-12-5), and the right hand sings the tune.
Big Bad John accompaniment in letter notes
The Bb – C – Bb – C loop with island zigzag in the left hand. 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 Big Bad John
What are the letter notes for the Big Bad John 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 Bb – C – Bb – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Big Bad John?
The loop is Bb – C – Bb – C (bVII – I – bVII – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Big Bad John in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Big Bad John?
Island zigzag: broken chord 8-12-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Big Bad John 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.