Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

Soares Samba: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By John Pizzarelli

Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Hop-back bounceRight hand Funky-chicken chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

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 Soares Samba without reading music. The left hand plays hop-back bounce (broken chord 8-5-8-8) and the right hand funky-chicken chords.

Soares Samba accompaniment in letter notes

The Bb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb loop with hop-back bounce in the left hand and funky-chicken chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Bb
RBb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4
LBb3 F3 Bb3 Bb3
Bar 2
Fm
RF4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5
LF3 C3 F3 F3
Bar 3
Bb7
RBb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4
LBb3 F3 Bb3 Bb3
Bar 4
Eb
REb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4 G4 Bb4 Eb5 G5 Bb5 Eb6 G6 Bb6
LEb3 Bb2 Eb3 Eb3
Bar 5
Bb
RBb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4
LBb3 F3 Bb3 Bb3
Bar 6
Fm
RF4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5 F4+Ab4+C5
LF3 C3 F3 F3
Bar 7
Bb7
RBb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4
LBb3 F3 Bb3 Bb3
Bar 8
Eb
REb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4
LEb3 Bb2 Eb3 Eb3

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 Soares Samba

What are the letter notes for the Soares Samba 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 Bb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Soares Samba?

The loop is Bb – Fm – Bb7 – Eb (I – v – I7 – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Eb7 – Bb.

What key is Soares Samba in?

Bb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Soares Samba?

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 Soares Samba 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.