Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Ride: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Zsuzsanna Ward, Dave Bassett & others
- D minor
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 2017
- 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 Ride without reading music. The left hand plays walking roots (root bass · quarters) and the right hand wait-a-beat chords.
The intro of Ride 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.
Ride accompaniment in letter notes
The C – F – Dm – F – C – F – C – F loop with walking roots in the left hand and wait-a-beat chords in the right. 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 Ride
What are the letter notes for the Ride 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 – F – Dm – F – C – F – C – F, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Ride?
The loop is C – F – Dm – F – C – F – C – F (VII – III – i – III – VII – III – VII – III) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Ride in?
D minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ride?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ride easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Ride?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro 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.