Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Dead Skunk: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Loudon Wainwright III
- G major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- IV–I–V–IV loop
- 1972
- 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 Dead Skunk without reading music. The left hand plays stair steps (broken chord 1-3-5) and the right hand hopscotch bells.
Dead Skunk accompaniment in letter notes
The C – G – D – C loop with stair steps in the left hand and hopscotch bells in the right. 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.
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Questions about Dead Skunk
What are the letter notes for the Dead Skunk 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 C – G – D – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Dead Skunk?
The loop is C – G – D – C (IV – I – V – IV) in G major, and the song ends on D – C – G.
What key is Dead Skunk in?
G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Dead Skunk?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Dead Skunk 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.