Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

Penguin: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Christina Perri

Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Style

Left hand Lazy footstepsThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

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 Penguin without reading music. The left hand plays lazy footsteps (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4), and the right hand sings the tune.

Penguin accompaniment in letter notes

The E – B – E – A loop with lazy footsteps in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LE2 E3 E2
Bar 2
B
RB3+D#4+F#4
LB2 B3 B2
Bar 3
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LE2 E3 E2
Bar 4
A
RA3+C#4+E4 D#4 E4 F#4 G#4 A4 B4 C#5 D#5
LA2 A3 A2
Bar 5
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LE2 E3 E2
Bar 6
B
RB3+D#4+F#4
LB2 B3 B2
Bar 7
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LE2 E3 E2
Bar 8
A
RA3+C#4+E4
LA2 A3 A2

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.

Play next

Questions about Penguin

What are the letter notes for the Penguin 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 E – B – E – A, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Penguin?

The loop is E – B – E – A (I – V – I – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – Am – E.

What key is Penguin in?

E major, at about 140 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Penguin?

Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Penguin 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.