Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Running Bear: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by J.P. Richardson
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- V7–I–V7–I loop
- 1959
- Easy
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 Running Bear without reading music. The left hand plays hop-back bounce (broken chord 8-5-8-8), and the right hand sings the tune.
Running Bear accompaniment in letter notes
The F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb loop with hop-back bounce 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.
Play next
Questions about Running Bear
What are the letter notes for the Running Bear 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 F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Running Bear?
The loop is F7 – Bb – F7 – Bb (V7 – I – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Running Bear in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Running Bear?
Hop-back bounce: broken chord 8-5-8-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Running Bear 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.