Piano chords · Old-time stride
El Choclo: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Angel Villoldo
- D minor
- 2/4
- 63 BPM
- 1933
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
El Choclo written out as piano music: the VII7 – III – VII7 – III loop in D minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays ragtime bounce (boom-chick (2/4)), and the right hand sings the tune.
El Choclo chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C7 | VII7 | C E G Bb |
| 2 | F | III | F A C |
| 3 | C7 | VII7 | C E G Bb |
| 4 | F | III | F A C |
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: ragtime bounce (boom-chick (2/4)) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the C7 – F – C7 – F 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.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
Play next
The same left hand: Ragtime bounce
Questions about El Choclo
Does the sheet music for El Choclo 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 El Choclo?
The loop is C7 – F – C7 – F (VII7 – III – VII7 – III) in D minor, and the song ends on E7 – A7 – D.
What key is El Choclo in?
D minor, at about 63 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in El Choclo?
Ragtime bounce: boom-chick (2/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is El Choclo 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.
Can I hear the real melody of El Choclo?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.