Piano chords · Bossa beach
Jolly Peter: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by John A. Bassett & M. Werner-Kersten
- Bb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 1922
- 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 Jolly Peter without reading music. The left hand plays island seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-1) and the right hand pausing chords.
Jolly Peter accompaniment in letter notes
The F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb loop with island seesaw in the left hand and pausing 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 Jolly Peter
What are the letter notes for the Jolly Peter 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 F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Jolly Peter?
The loop is F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Jolly Peter in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Jolly Peter?
Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Jolly Peter 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.