Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Waltz garden

Why: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Jonathan Larson

  • Eb major
  • 3/4
  • 80 BPM
  • 2001
  • Easy
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Left hand Waltz rippleRight hand Waltz chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

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 Why without reading music. The left hand plays waltz ripple (broken chord 1-5-8 (3/4)) and the right hand waltz chords.

The intro of Why 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
Bb
RD5 Bb4 C5+Eb5 Bb4 D5+F5 Bb4
LBb3
Bar 2
Bb
RD5 Bb4 C5+Eb5 Bb4 D5+F5 Bb4
LAb3
Bar 3
Bb
RD5 Bb4 C5+Eb5 Bb4 D5+F5 Bb4
LBb3
Bar 4
Bb
RBb5 Bb4 D5 F5 Bb5 Bb4
LAb3

Why accompaniment in letter notes

The Bb – Eb – Absus4 – Db loop with waltz ripple in the left hand and waltz chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Bb
RBb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4
LBb2 F3 Bb3
Bar 2
Eb
REb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4
LEb2 Bb2 Eb3
Bar 3
Absus4
RAb4+Db5+Eb5 Ab4+Db5+Eb5 Ab4+Db5+Eb5
LAb2 Eb3 Ab3
Bar 4
Db
RDb4+F4+Ab4 F4 Ab4 Db5 F5 Ab5 Db6 F6 Ab6
LDb3 Ab3 Db4
Bar 5
Bb
RBb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4 Bb3+D4+F4
LBb2 F3 Bb3
Bar 6
Eb
REb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4 Eb4+G4+Bb4
LEb2 Bb2 Eb3
Bar 7
Absus4
RAb4+Db5+Eb5 Ab4+Db5+Eb5 Ab4+Db5+Eb5
LAb2 Eb3 Ab3
Bar 8
Db
RDb4+F4+Ab4 Db4+F4+Ab4 Db4+F4+Ab4
LDb3 Ab3 Db4

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 Why

What are the letter notes for the Why 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 Bb – Eb – Absus4 – Db, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Why?

The loop is Bb – Eb – Absus4 – Db (V – I – IVsus – bVII) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.

What key is Why in?

Eb major, at about 80 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Why?

Waltz ripple: broken chord 1-5-8 (3/4), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Why 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 Why?

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