Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

Rub-A-Dub-Dub: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

Written by Hank Thompson

Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Yo-yo bounceRight hand Soft chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

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 Rub-A-Dub-Dub without reading music. The left hand plays yo-yo bounce (broken chord 8-5-8) and the right hand soft chords.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub accompaniment in letter notes

The C – F – G7 – C loop with yo-yo bounce in the left hand and soft chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
C
RG4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5
LC4 G3 C4
Bar 2
F
RC5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5
LF3 C3 F3
Bar 3
G7
RD5+G5+B5 D5+G5+B5 D5+G5+B5
LG3 D3 G3
Bar 4
C
RG4+C5+E5 E4 G4 C5 E5 G5 C6 E6 G6
LC4 G3 C4
Bar 5
C
RG4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5
LC4 G3 C4
Bar 6
F
RC5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5 C5+F5+A5
LF3 C3 F3
Bar 7
G7
RD5+G5+B5 D5+G5+B5 D5+G5+B5
LG3 D3 G3
Bar 8
C
RG4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5 G4+C5+E5
LC4 G3 C4

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 Rub-A-Dub-Dub

What are the letter notes for the Rub-A-Dub-Dub 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 – G7 – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Rub-A-Dub-Dub?

The loop is C – F – G7 – C (I – IV – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – F – C.

What key is Rub-A-Dub-Dub in?

C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Rub-A-Dub-Dub?

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

Is Rub-A-Dub-Dub 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.