Piano chords · Old-time stride
The Entertainer: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Scott Joplin
- C major
- 2/4
- 70 BPM
- Medium
The Entertainer written out as piano music: the I – IV – 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 ragtime bounce (boom-chick (2/4)) and the right hand marching chords.
The Entertainer 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 | C | I | C E G |
| 2 | F | IV | F A C |
| 3 | G7 | V7 | G B D F |
| 4 | 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: ragtime bounce (boom-chick (2/4)) in the left hand and marching chords in the right, over the C – F – G7 – 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.
Play next
The same left hand: Ragtime bounce
Questions about The Entertainer
Does the sheet music for The Entertainer 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 Entertainer?
The loop is C – F – G7 – C (I – IV – V7 – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is The Entertainer in?
C major, at about 70 beats a minute in 2/4.
What does the left hand play in The Entertainer?
Ragtime bounce: boom-chick (2/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Entertainer easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of The Entertainer?
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.