Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Kansas City: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Wilbert Harrison
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 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 Kansas City without reading music. The left hand plays rock’n’roll climb (broken chord 1-3-5-6), and the right hand sings the tune.
The repeating figure of Kansas City 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.
Kansas City accompaniment in letter notes
The F7 – F7 – C – C loop with rock’n’roll climb in the left hand. 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 Kansas City
What are the letter notes for the Kansas City 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 – F7 – C – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Kansas City?
The loop is F7 – F7 – C – C (IV7 – I – IV7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Kansas City in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Kansas City?
Rock’n’roll climb: broken chord 1-3-5-6, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Kansas City 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Kansas City?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.