Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Clair de Lune: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Claude Debussy
- Db major
- 9/8
- 80 BPM
- 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 Clair de Lune without reading music. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)), and the right hand sings the tune.
The opening of Clair de Lune 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.
Clair de Lune accompaniment in letter notes
The Fm – Gbm – Bbm7 – Ab7 loop with pop heartbeat 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.
Questions about Clair de Lune
What are the letter notes for the Clair de Lune 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 Fm – Gbm – Bbm7 – Ab7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Clair de Lune?
The loop is Fm – Gbm – Bbm7 – Ab7 (iii – iv – vi7 – V7) in Db major, and the song ends on Gb – Ab – Db.
What key is Clair de Lune in?
Db major, at about 80 beats a minute in 9/8.
What does the left hand play in Clair de Lune?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Clair de Lune 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 Clair de Lune?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the opening of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.