Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Waltz garden

Chopsticks: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Arthur de Lulli

  • C major
  • 3/4
  • 134 BPM
  • Easy
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Left hand Oom-pah-pahRight hand Waltz chordsChords 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 Chopsticks without reading music. The left hand plays oom-pah-pah (waltz oom-pah-pah) and the right hand waltz chords.

The opening of Chopsticks 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
G
RB3 C4 D4 E4 F4
LG2 A2 B2 C3 D3
Bar 2
Dm7
RD4 E4 F4 G4 A4
LB2 C3 D3 E3 F3
Bar 3
Dm
RF4 G4 A4 B4 C5 A4
LD3 E3 F3 G3 A3 F3
Bar 4
G7
RF4+G4 F4+G4 F4+G4+B4
LD3

Chopsticks accompaniment in letter notes

The G – Dm7 – Dm – G7 loop with oom-pah-pah in the left hand and waltz chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
G
RG4+B4+D5 G4+B4+D5 G4+B4+D5
LG2 B2+D3 B2+D3
Bar 2
Dm7
RD4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4
LD2 F2+A2 F2+A2
Bar 3
Dm
RD4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4
LD2 F2+A2 F2+A2
Bar 4
G7
RG4+B4+D5 F4 G4 B4 D5 F5 G5 B5 D6
LG2 B2+D3 B2+D3
Bar 5
G
RG4+B4+D5 G4+B4+D5 G4+B4+D5
LG2 B2+D3 B2+D3
Bar 6
Dm7
RD4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4
LD2 F2+A2 F2+A2
Bar 7
Dm
RD4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4 D4+F4+A4
LD2 F2+A2 F2+A2
Bar 8
G7
RG4+B4+D5 G4+B4+D5 G4+B4+D5
LG2 B2+D3 B2+D3

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 Chopsticks

What are the letter notes for the Chopsticks 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 G – Dm7 – Dm – G7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Chopsticks?

The loop is G – Dm7 – Dm – G7 (V – ii7 – ii – V7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Chopsticks in?

C major, at about 134 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Chopsticks?

Oom-pah-pah: waltz oom-pah-pah, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Chopsticks 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Chopsticks?

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