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The Banana Boat Song: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Jamaican Work Song
- C major
- 2/2
- 80 BPM
- 2011
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
The Banana Boat Song written out as piano music: the V7 – I – V7 – I loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays stair steps (broken chord 1-3-5) and the right hand sprint-and-stop chords.
The Banana Boat Song chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G7 | V7 | G B D F |
| 2 | C | I | C E G |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: stair steps (broken chord 1-3-5) in the left hand and sprint-and-stop chords in the right, over the G7 – G7 – C – C – C chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about The Banana Boat Song
Does the sheet music for The Banana Boat Song have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
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.