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On A Slow Boat To China: piano accompaniment sheet music

By Frank Loesser

  • A major
  • 4/4
  • 132 BPM
  • 1948
  • Easy
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Left hand Island seesawRight hand Steady chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

On A Slow Boat To China written out as piano music: the VI7 – ii – biiio – I loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays island seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-1) and the right hand steady chords.

On A Slow Boat To China chord chart

The loop once round, bar by bar, in A major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.

BarChordNumeralNotes
1F#7VI7F# A# C# E
2BmiiB D F#
3B#dimbiii°B# D# F#
4AIA C# E

What the sheet music shows

The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: island seesaw (root–fifth 1-5-1) in the left hand and steady chords in the right, over the F#7 – Bm – B#dim – A chords.

Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.

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Questions about On A Slow Boat To China

Does the sheet music for On A Slow Boat To China have finger numbers?

Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.

What chords are in On A Slow Boat To China?

The loop is F#7 – Bm – B#dim – A (VI7 – ii – biiio – I) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.

What key is On A Slow Boat To China in?

A major, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in On A Slow Boat To China?

Island seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-1, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is On A Slow Boat To China 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.