Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Scarlet Ribbons on piano
By Evelyn Danzig
- G major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1949
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Scarlet Ribbons in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – C – D7 – G – G – D7 – C – C – G
How it goes
Scarlet Ribbons sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 9 chords: G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GICIVD7V7GIGID7V7CIVCIVGI- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Galloping seesaw
How it goes
Low-high-high, low-high-high with a push: busy and bright. Musicians call it root–fifth 1-5-5-1 (root–fifth bass), a medium pattern heard in 61 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Bossa chords
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: C – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CD7G
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Questions about Scarlet Ribbons
What chords are in Scarlet Ribbons?
The loop is G – C – D7 – G – G – D7 – C – C – G (I – IV – V7 – I – V7 – IV – I – IV – V7) in G major, and the song ends on C – D7 – G.
What key is Scarlet Ribbons in?
G major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Scarlet Ribbons?
Galloping seesaw: root–fifth 1-5-5-1, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Scarlet Ribbons easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 9 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Scarlet Ribbons?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.