Piano chords · Rock drive
Steppin’ Out: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Joe Jackson
- F major
- 4/4
- 140 BPM
- 1982
- Easy
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 Steppin’ Out without reading music. The left hand plays heartbeat octaves (rocking octaves) and the right hand pop stabs.
The bass riff of Steppin’ Out 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.
Steppin’ Out accompaniment in letter notes
The Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Dm7 – Dm7 loop with heartbeat octaves in the left hand and pop stabs 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.
Play next
The same left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Questions about Steppin’ Out
What are the letter notes for the Steppin’ Out 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 Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Dm7 – Dm7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Steppin’ Out?
The loop is Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Dm7 – Dm7 (Imaj7 – bVIImaj7 – vi7 – Imaj7 – bVIImaj7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Steppin’ Out in?
F major, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Steppin’ Out?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Steppin’ Out easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Steppin’ Out?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff 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.