Piano chords · Bossa beach
Cotton Jenny: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Gordon Lightfoot
- A major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- I–IV–I7–IV loop
- 1969
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Cotton Jenny written out as piano music: the I – IV – I7 – IV loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays bossa seesaw (root–fifth 1-1-5-5) and the right hand late-knock chords.
Cotton Jenny 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 | A7 | I7 | A C# E G |
| 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: bossa seesaw (root–fifth 1-1-5-5) in the left hand and late-knock chords in the right, over the A – D – A7 – 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 Jenny
Does the sheet music for Cotton Jenny 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 Jenny?
The loop is A – D – A7 – D (I – IV – I7 – IV) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Cotton Jenny in?
A major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cotton Jenny?
Bossa seesaw: root–fifth 1-1-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Cotton Jenny 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.