Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
The Banana Boat Song: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Jamaican Work Song
- C major
- 2/2
- 80 BPM
- 2011
- 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 The Banana Boat Song without reading music. The left hand plays stair steps (broken chord 1-3-5) and the right hand sprint-and-stop chords.
The repeating figure of The Banana Boat Song 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.
The Banana Boat Song accompaniment in letter notes
The G7 – G7 – C – C – C loop with stair steps in the left hand and sprint-and-stop 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 The Banana Boat Song
What are the letter notes for the The Banana Boat Song 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 G7 – G7 – C – C – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in The Banana Boat Song?
The loop is G7 – G7 – C – C – C (V7 – I – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is The Banana Boat Song in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in The Banana Boat Song?
Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Banana Boat Song 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 The Banana Boat Song?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.