Piano chords · Old-time stride
Telling Stories: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Tracy Chapman
- E minor
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- i–bVI–bIII–bVII loop
- 2000
- 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 Telling Stories without reading music. The left hand plays stride jumps (stride), and the right hand sings the tune.
Telling Stories accompaniment in letter notes
The Em – C – G – D loop with stride jumps in the left hand. 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 Telling Stories
What are the letter notes for the Telling Stories 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 Em – C – G – D, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Telling Stories?
The loop is Em – C – G – D (i – bVI – bIII – bVII) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Telling Stories in?
E minor, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Telling Stories?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Telling Stories 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.