By Andrew Fling and Jennifer Foxx

An Elementary Piano Library

A Beginner’s Guide to Accompanying

A Beginners Guide to Piano Accompanying

Written by Andy Fling and Jennifer and FoxxIllustrated by Andy Fling

Table of Contents

Chord Chart ............................................................. 3

Accompaniment Patterns ...................................... 5

Chord Voicing ........................................................ 10

Lead Sheets .......................................................... 15

First EditionCopyright © 2016 MakingMusicFun.net/FPSResources.com

All Rights Reserved

Left Hand Accompaniment Patterns

the Boom-Chick

Three ways to accompany songs with chord patterns in the left hand. Each example shows a

different way to play Hot Cross Buns and another song included in this book.

&?

44

44˙ ˙œ œœ œ œœ

wœ œœ œ œœ

˙ ˙œ œœ œ œœ

wœ œœ œœ Œ

&?

43

43œ œŒ

˙ œ œœ ˙˙

˙ œ œœ ˙˙

œ œ œœ ˙˙

œ œ Œ

œ œœ Œ

G7 G7C C C

G7 G7C C C&?

44

44

˙˙ ˙˙

œ œ œ œ œ œww

œ œ œ œ œ

˙˙ ˙˙

œ œ œ œ œ œww

w

The Open Arpeggio

Brahms’ Lullaby

Jesus Loves Me

Hot Cross Buns

&?

44

44œ œ œ œ

œ œ .˙œ œ ˙

œ œ .˙œ œ œ œ

œ œ .˙œ œ ˙

œ œ .˙

Hot Cross Buns

Left Hand Accompaniment Patterns

&?

44

44˙ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

wœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

ww

G7 G7C C C

Alberti Bass

&?

44

44œ œ ˙œ œ œ œ

œ œ ˙œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ

wœ œ œ œ ˙

Jingle Bells

Accompanying Singers and Instruments

the Boom-Chick

The Open Arpeggio

Five ways to accompany singer or instrument where the piano plays a supportive roll, and the singer or instrument takes the melody.

&?

43

43ŒŒ

Œ ˙̇.˙

Œ ˙̇.˙

œ œ œŒ ˙.˙

œ œ Œ˙

˙ Œ

Here’s Brahms’ Lullaby with the Boom-Chick accompaniment pattern. This arrangement purposefully leaves out chord members in measures 3-4 to maintain a lighter texture.

&?

44

44Œ œœœ Œ œœœœ Œ œ Œ

Œ œœœ Œ œœœœ Œ œ Œ

Œ œœœ Œ œœœœ Œ œ Œ

Œ œœœ œœœ Œ

œ Œ Ó

&?

44

44˙̇ ˙˙

œ œ œ œ œ œww

œ œ œ œ œ

˙̇ ˙˙

œ œ œ œ œ œww

w

G7 G7C C C

G7 G7C C C

C G7

Hot Cross Buns

Accompanying Singers and Instruments

&?

44

44˙̇̇ ˙˙˙œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

wwwœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙̇̇ œ œ˙˙œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

wwww

&?

44

44Œ œœœ. Œ œœœ..œ jœ .œ jœ

Œ œœœ. Œ œœœ..œ jœ ˙

Œ œœœ. Œ œœœ..œ jœ .œ jœ

wwww

&?

43

43‰ jœœœ.

Œ œœœ-œ- ‰ jœ- Œ

‰ jœœœ.Œ œœœ-

œ- ‰ Jœ- Œ‰ jœœœ.

Œ œœœ-œ- ‰ jœ- Œ

...˙˙˙.˙

&?

#

#44

44œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœw

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœw

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœw

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœw

The CloneThe clone is a right hand pattern that is played when the piano is taking a supportive role. It is the most popular pattern for playing rock/pop music.The pattern is a quarter note chord followed by several “clones” of that chord. The following measures repeat that pattern with different chords, with pattern breaks at phrase points.

Rock

Alberti Bass

Jazz Waltz

Accompanying Singers and Instruments

&?

#

#44

44œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ.œ Jœ ˙

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ.œ Jœ ˙

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ.œ Jœ ˙

œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœw

The Clone w/Rock BassIn this version of the clone a electric bass accommpaniment pattern is added.

A Tip from the Maestro...Never allow more than the interval of a 10th between hands.

Incorrect. Correct.

A Tip from the Maestro...Avoid “muddy” sounding chords. Never play chords in closed position lower than this one:

For inside book...

Jingle BellsLead Sheet

James Lord Pierpont

00

& # 44 œ œ ˙Jin - gle bells,

G œ œ ˙jin - gle bells,

& # œ œ œ œjin - gle all the

wway.

œ œ œ œOn, what fun it

C

& # œ œ œ œ œis to ride in a

G œ œ œ œone - horse o - pen

D ˙ ˙sleigh. Oh,

& # œ œ ˙jin - gle bells,

G œ œ ˙jin - gle bells,

œ œ œ œjin - gle all the

& # wway.

œ œ œ œOn, what fun it

C œ œ œ œ œis to ride in a

G

& # œ œ œ œone - horse o - - pen

D wsleigh.

G

Jesus Loves MeLead Sheet

Bible Song

00

& 44 œ œ œ œJe sus loves me,

C

œ œ ˙this, I know,

& œ œ œ œFor the Bi ble

F œ œ ˙tells me so;

C œ œ œ œLit tle ones to

C

& œ œ ˙Him be long,

œ œ œ œthey are weak, but

F C

œ œ ˙He is strong.

G7 C

& ˙ œ œYes, Je sus

C œ .˙loves me,

F ˙ œ œYes, Je sus

C

& œ .˙loves me,

G7 ˙ œ œYes, Je sus

C œ ˙ œloves me, The

F

& œ œ œ œBi ble tells me

C G7

wso.

C

Traditional

Hot Cross BunsLead Sheet

Traditional

00

2) If you have no daughters,Give them to your sons.One a penny two a penny,Hot cross buns!

GC C

GC C

GC C

GC

& 44 ˙ ˙Hot cross

wbuns.

& ˙ ˙Hot cross

wbuns.

& œ œ œ œOne a pen - ny,

œ œ œ œtwo a pen - ny,

& ˙ ˙hot cross

wbuns.

Baby BumblebeeLead Sheet

Traditional

00

& # 44 œI'm

œ œ œ œ œ œbring ing home my ba by

G C

- - -

& # œ œ ˙bum ble bee,

G œ œ œ œWon't my mom my

D7

- - -

& # œ œ œ œ œ œbe so proud of me? I'm

œ œ œ œ œ œbring ing home my ba by

G C

- -

& # œ œ ˙bum ble bee,

G

- - Spoken: Ouch! it stung me!

2) I'm squishing up the baby bumblebee,

Won't my mommy be so proud of me,

I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee,

Spoken: Ooh! It's yucky!

3) I'm wiping off the baby bumblebee,

Won't my mommy be so proud of me,

I'm wiping off the baby bumblebee,

Spoken: Now my mommy won't be mad at me!

Mary AnnLead Sheet

Calypso

00

& c ˙ ˙All day,F

˙ ˙all night

œ œ ˙Ma ry Ann,

w-

& ˙ œ œDown by the

˙ ˙sea shore

œ œ ˙sift ing sand.

w- -

& œ œ œ œEv en lit tle

œ œ ˙child ren love

œ œ ˙Ma ry Ann,

w- - - -

& ˙ œ œDown by the

˙ ˙sea side

œ œ ˙sift ing sand.

w- -

Verse 1

Oh, when she walks long the shore people all she greets,

Wild birds fly her over and fish come to her feet.

In her heart there's love but I'm the only man,

Who's allowed to kiss my, oh Mary Ann.

Verse 2

Oh, when we marry we will have the time we ever thought,

I would be so happy, I'd kiss my mother-in-law.

All the little children running in the bamboo hut,

One for every palmtree and the coconut.

Chorus

GC

GC

G C

G C

Brahms’ LullabyLead Sheet

Johannes Brahms

00

& 43 œ œLul la

˙ œ œby and good

C

˙ œ œnight, with- - -

& œ œ œros es be

œ œ œ œdight, With

G7

œ œ œ œli lies be- - -

& ˙ œ œspread is

œ œ œ œba by's wee

˙ œ œbed; Lay thee

C

-

& ˙ œ œdown now and

F ˙ œ œrest, may thy

C

œ œ œslum ber be

G7

-

& ˙ œ œblessed. Lay thee

C ˙ œ œdown now and

F

˙ œ œrest, May thy

C

& œ œ œslum ber be

G7

˙ Œblessed.

C

-

Simple GiftsLead Sheet

Joseph Bracket

00

& b 44 œ œ'Tis the

œ œ œ œ œ œ œgift to be sim ple, 'tis the

F œ œ œ œ œ œgift to be free. 'Tis the

Am

-

& b œ œ œ œgift to come down

Gm

œ œ œ œ œ œwhere we ought to be. And

C7

œ œ œ œ œ œ œwhen we find our selves in the

F

-

& b œ œ œ œplace just right, 'Twill

Am œ œ œ œ œ œbe in the val ley of

Gm C7

œ œ œ ˙love and de light.

F Bb F

- -

& b ˙ .œ jœWhen true sim

F œ œ œ œ .œ jœpli ci ty is gained. To

C7 F œ œ œ œ œbow and to bend we

Am

- - -

& b œ œ œ œ œshan't be a sham'd. To

Gm C7

˙ .œ jœturn, turn will

F œ œ œ œ œ œbe our de light, Till by

Am

- -

& b œ œ œ œ œtur ning, tur ing we

Gm C7

œ œ ˙come round right.

F Bb F

- -