Piano chords · Rock drive
Wharf Rat: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Jerry Garcia
- A major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- 1971
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Wharf Rat written out as piano music: the Isus – v – Isus – v loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays heartbeat octaves (rocking octaves) and the right hand skip-and-stroll chords.
Wharf Rat chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A 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 | Asus4 | Isus4 | A D E |
| 2 | Em | v | E G B |
| 3 | Asus4 | Isus4 | A D E |
| 4 | Em | v | E G B |
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: heartbeat octaves (rocking octaves) in the left hand and skip-and-stroll chords in the right, over the Asus4 – Em – Asus4 – Em 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.
Play next
More by Jerry Garcia
The same left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Questions about Wharf Rat
Does the sheet music for Wharf Rat 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 Wharf Rat?
The loop is Asus4 – Em – Asus4 – Em (Isus – v – Isus – v) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Wharf Rat in?
A major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Wharf Rat?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Wharf Rat 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.