Piano chords · Blues & boogie
My Old Friend: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Steve McEwan & Craig Wiseman
- E major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 2004
- 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 My Old Friend without reading music. The left hand plays seesaw bass (root–fifth 1-5-1-5), and the right hand sings the tune.
My Old Friend accompaniment in letter notes
The A – E – A – E loop with seesaw bass 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 My Old Friend
What are the letter notes for the My Old Friend 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 A – E – A – E, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in My Old Friend?
The loop is A – E – A – E (IV – I – IV – I) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is My Old Friend in?
E major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in My Old Friend?
Seesaw bass: root–fifth 1-5-1-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is My Old Friend 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.