Piano chords · Blues & boogie
Swanee: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
- F major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1997
- 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 Swanee without reading music. The left hand plays jazz walk (walking bass) and the right hand hopscotch bells.
The catchy part of Swanee 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.
Swanee accompaniment in letter notes
The F – F – Bb – Gm7 – C7 loop with jazz walk in the left hand and hopscotch bells 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 Swanee
What are the letter notes for the Swanee 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 – F – Bb – Gm7 – C7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Swanee?
The loop is F – F – Bb – Gm7 – C7 (I – IV – ii7 – V7 – I) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Swanee in?
F major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Swanee?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Swanee 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 Swanee?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.