Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

Butterfly: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Andy Williams

  • F major
  • 2/2
  • 120 BPM
  • 1957
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Over-the-hillRight hand Knock-knock 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 Butterfly without reading music. The left hand plays over-the-hill (broken chord 1-5-3-1) and the right hand knock-knock chords.

The intro of Butterfly 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
Bb
RF4+Bb4+D5 D4+F4+Bb4 D4+F4 F4+Bb4+D5 D4+F4+Bb4
LBb1 D2 F2 G2 F2
Bar 2
C7
RE4+G4+Bb4 D5 C5 A4
LC2+C3
Bar 3
F → Bb7
RA3+C4+F4 Ab3+D4
LF2 D3 C3 Bb2 F3 G3
Bar 4
F → C7
RA3+C4 Bb3+E4+G4 F4
LF3 C3 D3 C3 C2

Butterfly accompaniment in letter notes

The Bb – C7 – F – Bb7 – F – C7 loop with over-the-hill in the left hand and knock-knock chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Bb
RF4+Bb4 F4+Bb4 F4+A4 F4+A4
LBb2 F3 D3 Bb2
Bar 2
C7
RG4+C5 G4+C5 G4+Bb4 G4+Bb4
LC3 G3 E3 C3
Bar 3
F → Bb7
RC5+F5 C5+F5 C5+E5 F4+Ab4
LF2 C3 D3 Bb2
Bar 4
F → C7
RC5+F5 C5+F5 C5+E5 E4 G4 Bb4 C5 E5 G5 Bb5 C6
LF2 C3 E3 C3
Bar 5
Bb
RF4+Bb4 F4+Bb4 F4+A4 F4+A4
LBb2 F3 D3 Bb2
Bar 6
C7
RG4+C5 G4+C5 G4+Bb4 G4+Bb4
LC3 G3 E3 C3
Bar 7
F → Bb7
RC5+F5 C5+F5 C5+E5 F4+Ab4
LF2 C3 D3 Bb2
Bar 8
F → C7
RC5+F5 C5+F5 C5+E5 G4+Bb4
LF2 C3 E3 C3

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 Butterfly

What are the letter notes for the Butterfly 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 – C7 – F – Bb7 – F – C7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Butterfly?

The loop is Bb – C7 – F – Bb7 – F – C7 (IV – V7 – I – IV7 – I – V7) in F major, and the song ends on F – Bb7 – F.

What key is Butterfly in?

F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Butterfly?

Over-the-hill: broken chord 1-5-3-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Butterfly easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Butterfly?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro 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.