Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s
Don’t Play That Song: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Ahmet Ertegun & Betty Nelson
- C major
- 12/8
- 112 BPM
- I–V–vi–V loop
- 1962
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
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 Don’t Play That Song without reading music. The left hand plays slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)), and the right hand sings the tune.
Don’t Play That Song accompaniment in letter notes
The C – G – Am – G loop with slow-dance 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.
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Questions about Don’t Play That Song
What are the letter notes for the Don’t Play That Song 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 – Am – G, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Don’t Play That Song?
The loop is C – G – Am – G (I – V – vi – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Don’t Play That Song in?
C major, at about 112 beats a minute in 12/8.
What does the left hand play in Don’t Play That Song?
Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don’t Play That Song 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.