Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Cotton Eye Joe: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Rednex
- A major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- I–IV–V–IV loop
- 1994
- Medium
Cotton Eye Joe written out as piano music: the I – IV – V – IV loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays hurrying footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&) and the right hand sprint-and-stop chords.
Cotton Eye Joe chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | I | A C# E |
| 2 | D | IV | D F# A |
| 3 | E | V | E G# B |
| 4 | D | IV | D F# A |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: hurrying footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&) in the left hand and sprint-and-stop chords in the right, over the A – D – E – D chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about Cotton Eye Joe
Does the sheet music for Cotton Eye Joe have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in Cotton Eye Joe?
The loop is A – D – E – D (I – IV – V – IV) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Cotton Eye Joe in?
A major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cotton Eye Joe?
Hurrying footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cotton Eye Joe easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.