Piano chords · Old-time stride
Summertime (from Porgy And Bess): easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
- A minor
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1935
- 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 Summertime (from Porgy And Bess) without reading music. The left hand plays oom-pah (bass + chords) and the right hand push chords.
The main tune of Summertime (from Porgy And Bess) 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.
Summertime (from Porgy And Bess) accompaniment in letter notes
The Am – E7 – Am – E7 – Am – E – Am – D loop with oom-pah in the left hand and push 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 Summertime (from Porgy And Bess)
What are the letter notes for the Summertime (from Porgy And Bess) 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 Am – E7 – Am – E7 – Am – E – Am – D, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Summertime (from Porgy And Bess)?
The loop is Am – E7 – Am – E7 – Am – E – Am – D (i – V7 – i – V7 – i – V – i – IV) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Summertime (from Porgy And Bess) in?
A minor, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Summertime (from Porgy And Bess)?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Summertime (from Porgy And Bess) easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Summertime (from Porgy And Bess)?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.