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Eleanor Rigby: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By The Beatles

  • E minor
  • 4/4
  • 137 BPM
  • 1966
  • Easy
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Left hand Marching giantRight hand Sleep-in chordsChords worked out from the notes of the famous part

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 Eleanor Rigby without reading music. The left hand plays marching giant (lh triads) and the right hand sleep-in chords.

The main tune of Eleanor Rigby in letter notes

The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
C → D
RC5+E5 D5+F#5 E5+G5 F#5+A5
LC3 G2 E3 C3
Bar 2
Em7 → C
RE5+G5 D5+F#5 C5+E5 E4+B4
Lrest
Bar 3
Em
RG4 A4 B4
LB2 G2 E2 B3+E4
Bar 4
Em
RG4 B4 F#4 B4 G4 B4 E4 B4
LB3+E4 B3+E4 B3+E4 B3

Eleanor Rigby accompaniment in letter notes

The C – D – Em7 – C – Em – Em loop with marching giant in the left hand and sleep-in chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
C → D
RA4+D5+F#5 A4+D5+F#5 B4+E5+G#5
LC4+E4+G4 C4+E4+G4 A2+D3+F#3 A2+D3+F#3
Bar 2
Em7 → C
RG4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5 A4+D5+F#5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 G3+C4+E4 G3+C4+E4
Bar 3
Em
RB4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 C#5+F#5+A#5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 4
Em
RB6 G6 E6 B5 G#5 G5 F#5 F5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 5
C → D
RA4+D5+F#5 A4+D5+F#5 B4+E5+G#5
LC4+E4+G4 C4+E4+G4 A2+D3+F#3 A2+D3+F#3
Bar 6
Em7 → C
RG4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5 A4+D5+F#5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 G3+C4+E4 G3+C4+E4
Bar 7
Em
RB4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 C#5+F#5+A#5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3
Bar 8
Em
RB4+E5+G5 B4+E5+G5 C#5+F#5+A#5
LE3+G3+B3 E3+G3+B3 B2+E3+G3 B2+E3+G3

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 Eleanor Rigby

What are the letter notes for the Eleanor Rigby 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 – D – Em7 – C – Em – Em, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Eleanor Rigby?

The loop is C – D – Em7 – C – Em – Em (VI – VII – i7 – VI – i – VI) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Eleanor Rigby in?

E minor, at about 137 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Eleanor Rigby?

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

Is Eleanor Rigby easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Eleanor Rigby?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.