Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Hawaii: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Brian Wilson & Mike Love
- C major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- I–IV–I–ii loop
- 1964
- 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 Hawaii without reading music. The left hand plays walking roots (root bass · quarters) and the right hand freeze-tag chords.
Hawaii accompaniment in letter notes
The C – F – C – Dm loop with walking roots in the left hand and freeze-tag chords 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 Hawaii
What are the letter notes for the Hawaii 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 – F – C – Dm, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Hawaii?
The loop is C – F – C – Dm (I – IV – I – ii) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.
What key is Hawaii in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Hawaii?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hawaii 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.