Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Old-time stride

Skinny Love: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

Written by Justin Vernon

  • C major
  • 2/2
  • 152 BPM
  • 2008
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Learn it
Style

Left hand Oom-pahRight hand Wait-a-beat chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

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 Skinny Love without reading music. The left hand plays oom-pah (bass + chords) and the right hand wait-a-beat chords.

The catchy part of Skinny Love 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.

Bar 1
F
RA4 C5 C5 C5
LA2 F3+C4 F3+C4
Bar 2
C
RC5+G5 E5 C5+E5 D5 C5+D5
LC3 E3+G3+C4 E3+G3+C4
Bar 3
C
RC5+E5 C5 C5 C5
LC3 E3+G3+C4 E3+G3+C4
Bar 4
G
RC5+G5 E5 C5+E5 D5 D5 C5
LB2 D3+G3+B3 D3+G3+B3

Skinny Love accompaniment in letter notes

The F – C – C – G loop with oom-pah in the left hand and wait-a-beat chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
F
RA4+C5+F5 A4+C5+F5 A4+C5+F5
LF2 A2+C3 A2+C3
Bar 2
C
RE4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5
LC3 E3+G3 E3+G3
Bar 3
C
RE4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5
LC3 E3+G3 E3+G3
Bar 4
G
RB4+D5+G5 B6 G6 D6 B5 A5 Ab5 G5 F#5
LG2 B2+D3 B2+D3
Bar 5
F
RA4+C5+F5 A4+C5+F5 A4+C5+F5
LF2 A2+C3 A2+C3
Bar 6
C
RE4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5
LC3 E3+G3 E3+G3
Bar 7
C
RE4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5 E4+G4+C5
LC3 E3+G3 E3+G3
Bar 8
G
RB4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5 B4+D5+G5
LG2 B2+D3 B2+D3

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 Skinny Love

What are the letter notes for the Skinny Love 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 F – C – C – G, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Skinny Love?

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

What key is Skinny Love in?

C major, at about 152 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Skinny Love?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Skinny Love 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Skinny Love?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.