Piano chords · Old-time stride
Sleigh Ride: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Leroy Anderson
- G major
- 5/4
- 160 BPM
- 1948
- 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 Sleigh Ride without reading music. The left hand plays boom-chick (boom-chick) and the right hand steady chords.
The main tune of Sleigh 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.
Sleigh Ride accompaniment in letter notes
The G – Am – G – D7 loop with boom-chick in the left hand and steady 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 Sleigh Ride
What are the letter notes for the Sleigh 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 G – Am – G – D7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Sleigh Ride?
The loop is G – Am – G – D7 (I – ii – I – V7) in G major, and the song ends on D – C – G.
What key is Sleigh Ride in?
G major, at about 160 beats a minute in 5/4.
What does the left hand play in Sleigh Ride?
Boom-chick: boom-chick, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sleigh Ride 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 Sleigh Ride?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 10 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.