Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Mack The Knife: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Marc Blitzstein
- C major
- 2/2
- 120 BPM
- 1928
- 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 Mack The Knife without reading music. The left hand plays lazy footsteps (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4), and the right hand sings the tune.
The catchy part of Mack The Knife 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.
Mack The Knife accompaniment in letter notes
The C – C – Dm – Dm – Dm7 loop with lazy footsteps 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 Mack The Knife
What are the letter notes for the Mack The Knife 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 – C – Dm – Dm – Dm7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Mack The Knife?
The loop is C – C – Dm – Dm – Dm7 (I – ii – ii7 – I – ii) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is Mack The Knife in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Mack The Knife?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Mack The Knife easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Mack The Knife?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.