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Wagon Wheel: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

Written by Ketch Secor & Bob Dylan

  • A major
  • 4/4
  • 142 BPM
  • 2004
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Stair stepsRight hand Peekaboo chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

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 Wagon Wheel without reading music. The left hand plays stair steps (broken chord 1-3-5) and the right hand peekaboo chords.

The intro of Wagon Wheel 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.

Bar 1
F#m
RE4 A3+C#4+F#4 A3+C#4+F#4 A4 A3+C#4+F#4 E4
LF#2 C#3
Bar 2
D
RD4 C#4 A3+D4 E4 F#4 G#4 D4+F#4+A4 B4
LD3 D3
Bar 3
A
RC#5 E4+A4+C#5 E5 C#5 B4 E4+A4 C#5
LA2 A2
Bar 4
E
RB4 E4+G#4+B4 B4 B4 B3+E4+A4 G#4
LE2 B2

Wagon Wheel accompaniment in letter notes

The F#m – D – A – E loop with stair steps in the left hand and peekaboo chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
F#m
RA4+C#5+F#5 A4+C#5+F#5 A4+C#5+F#5
LF#2 A2 C#3
Bar 2
D
RF#4+A4+D5 F#4+A4+D5 F#4+A4+D5
LD2 F#2 A2
Bar 3
A
RC#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4+A4
LA2 C#3 E3
Bar 4
E
RG#4+B4+E5 E4 F#4 G#4 A4 B4 C#5 D5 E5
LE2 G#2 B2
Bar 5
F#m
RA4+C#5+F#5 A4+C#5+F#5 A4+C#5+F#5
LF#2 A2 C#3
Bar 6
D
RF#4+A4+D5 F#4+A4+D5 F#4+A4+D5
LD2 F#2 A2
Bar 7
A
RC#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4+A4
LA2 C#3 E3
Bar 8
E
RG#4+B4+E5 G#4+B4+E5 G#4+B4+E5
LE2 G#2 B2

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 Wagon Wheel

What are the letter notes for the Wagon Wheel 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#m – D – A – E, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Wagon Wheel?

The loop is F#m – D – A – E (vi – IV – I – V) in A major, and the song ends on E – D – A.

What key is Wagon Wheel in?

A major, at about 142 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Wagon Wheel?

Stair steps: broken chord 1-3-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Wagon Wheel 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Wagon Wheel?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro 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.