Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

Maria: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Richard Rodgers

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 160 BPM
  • 1959
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Trampoline bounceRight hand Hopscotch bellsChords from the chord symbols in the score

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 Maria without reading music. The left hand plays trampoline bounce (broken chord 8-12-5-12) and the right hand hopscotch bells.

The catchy part of Maria 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.

Bar 1
C
RG4 F#4 G4 C4+E4+C5 E4 Eb4 E4 G3+C4+G4 C4
LC2+G2+E3 G1+G2
Bar 2
G7
RB3 F3+G3+B3+D4 F3+G3+B3
LD2 G1+G2
Bar 3
C
RG4 F#4 G4 C4+E4+C5 E4 Eb4 E4 G3+C4+G4 C4
LC2+G2+E3 G1+G2
Bar 4
G
RG3+B3+D4 B3+D4+A4 B4 B3+D4+A4 B3+D4+G4
LG2+D3 A3 B3 A3 G3

Maria accompaniment in letter notes

The C – G7 – C – G loop with trampoline bounce in the left hand and hopscotch bells in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
C
RC5 E4+G4 E4+G4
LC4 G4 G3 G4
Bar 2
G7
RG5 B4+D5 B4+D5
LG3 D4 D3 D4
Bar 3
C
RC5 E4+G4 E4+G4
LC4 G4 G3 G4
Bar 4
G
RG5 B4+D5 G4 B4 D5 G5 B5 D6 G6 B6
LG3 D4 D3 D4
Bar 5
C
RC5 E4+G4 E4+G4
LC4 G4 G3 G4
Bar 6
G7
RG5 B4+D5 B4+D5
LG3 D4 D3 D4
Bar 7
C
RC5 E4+G4 E4+G4
LC4 G4 G3 G4
Bar 8
G
RG5 B4+D5 B4+D5
LG3 D4 D3 D4

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 Maria

What are the letter notes for the Maria 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 – G7 – C – G, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Maria?

The loop is C – G7 – C – G (I – V7 – I – V) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.

What key is Maria in?

C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Maria?

Trampoline bounce: broken chord 8-12-5-12, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Maria 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 Maria?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.