Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

Waterloo: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Abba

  • D major
  • 4/4
  • 144 BPM
  • 1974
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Pop heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords 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 Waterloo without reading music. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)), and the right hand sings the tune.

The catchy part of Waterloo 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
D
RB4 A4 A3+E4+F#4 F#4 G3+A3+E4 F#3+A3+E4
LA2 B2 C3 C#3 D3
Bar 2
D
RD4 F#3+A3+D4 F#4+A4+D5
LD3 B2 D3 B2 D2
Bar 3
D
RF#4+A4+C#5 D4+A4+B4 A4 C#4+E4+B4
LD2 E2 F2 F#2 A2
Bar 4
A
RA4 C#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4+B4
LA2 F#2 A2 F#2 A2

Waterloo accompaniment in letter notes

The D – D – D – A loop with pop heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
D
RD4+F#4+A4
LD2 D2 D2
Bar 2
D
RD4+F#4+A4
LD2 D2 D2
Bar 3
D
RD4+F#4+A4
LD2 D2 D2
Bar 4
A
RA3+C#4+E4 C#4 D4 E4 F#4 G4 A4 B4 C#5
LA2 A2 A2
Bar 5
D
RD4+F#4+A4
LD2 D2 D2
Bar 6
D
RD4+F#4+A4
LD2 D2 D2
Bar 7
D
RD4+F#4+A4
LD2 D2 D2
Bar 8
A
RA3+C#4+E4
LA2 A2 A2

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 Waterloo

What are the letter notes for the Waterloo 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 D – D – D – A, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Waterloo?

The loop is D – D – D – A (I – V – I – V) in D major, and the song ends on D – A – D.

What key is Waterloo in?

D major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Waterloo?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Waterloo 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 Waterloo?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.