Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Ho-Ba-La-La: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Norman Gimbel & Joao Gilberto
- F major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- iii–VI7–ii–V7 loop
- 1964
- 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 Ho-Ba-La-La without reading music. The left hand plays lazy footsteps (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4) and the right hand offbeat skank.
Ho-Ba-La-La accompaniment in letter notes
The Am – D7 – Gm – C7 loop with lazy footsteps in the left hand and offbeat skank 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 Ho-Ba-La-La
What are the letter notes for the Ho-Ba-La-La 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 Am – D7 – Gm – C7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Ho-Ba-La-La?
The loop is Am – D7 – Gm – C7 (iii – VI7 – ii – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Ho-Ba-La-La in?
F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Ho-Ba-La-La?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ho-Ba-La-La 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.