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Piano chords · Rock drive

Detour Ahead: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Bill Evans

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 80 BPM
  • 1948
  • Easy
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Left hand Marching giantRight hand Push-and-land chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

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 Detour Ahead without reading music. The left hand plays marching giant (lh triads) and the right hand push-and-land chords.

Detour Ahead accompaniment in letter notes

The F – Em – Am – D7 loop with marching giant in the left hand and push-and-land chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
F
RC5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5
LF3+A3+C4 F3+A3+C4 C3+F3+A3 C3+F3+A3
Bar 2
Em
RB4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 3
Am
RE4+A4+C5 E4+A4+C5 E4+A4+C5 E4+A4+C5
LA3+C4+E4 A3+C4+E4 E3+A3+C4 E3+A3+C4
Bar 4
D7
RA4+D5+F#5 A4+D5+F#5 A6 F#6 D6 C6 A5 G#5 G5 F#5
LD3+F#3+A3 D3+F#3+A3 A2+D3+F#3 A2+D3+F#3
Bar 5
F
RC5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5
LF3+A3+C4 F3+A3+C4 C3+F3+A3 C3+F3+A3
Bar 6
Em
RB4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 7
Am
RE4+A4+C5 E4+A4+C5 E4+A4+C5 E4+A4+C5
LA3+C4+E4 A3+C4+E4 E3+A3+C4 E3+A3+C4
Bar 8
D7
RA4+D5+F#5 A4+D5+F#5 A4+D5+F#5 A4+D5+F#5
LD3+F#3+A3 D3+F#3+A3 A2+D3+F#3 A2+D3+F#3

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 Detour Ahead

What are the letter notes for the Detour Ahead 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 F – Em – Am – D7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Detour Ahead?

The loop is F – Em – Am – D7 (IV – iii – vi – II7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Detour Ahead in?

C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Detour Ahead?

Marching giant: lh triads, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Detour Ahead 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.