Super Simple Piano

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Right-hand piano patterns

What the right hand plays over the left. Open one to hear it and practice it.

Chords on the beat

The whole chord at once, right on the beat.

Steady chords

A full chord on every beat, steady and simple.

Soft chords

Soft chords on beats 1, 3 and 4.

Wait-a-beat chords

Silence on beat 1, then chords on 2, 3 and 4, leaving room for the bass.

Pausing chords

Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe.

Hopscotch bells

A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord.

Hopscotch chords

Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square.

Waltz chords

A chord on each of the three beats: a simple waltz.

Marching chords

Two chords per bar, left-right, like a happy little march.

Waltz bells

A single high note, then two chords: ding, dong, dong in three.

Pirate-stomp chords

Three even chords that cut across the rocking bar, bold like pirates.

Pushing chords

Chords that land between the beats and push ahead.

Pop stabs

Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm.

Pumping chords

A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward.

Run-up chords

Four steady chords plus a quick extra one leading into the next bar.

Freeze-tag chords

Chord, chord-and, then freeze for the rest of the bar.

Push chords

Two quick chords and a push just before beat 3, then space.

Offbeat skank

Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing.

Late-knock chords

One chord, a long wait, then a quick knock-knock at the end.

Heartbeat chords

Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest.

Deep-breath chords

A breath on beat 1, then quick chords pumping to the end.

Bouncy-ball chords

One chord, then chords bouncing on every “and”, like a ball.

Sprint-and-stop chords

Four quick chords in the first half, then a calm, empty second half.

Push-and-land chords

A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings.

Skipping-stone chords

One chord, then two bounces on the “ands”, like a stone on water.

Eager chords

Jumps in early before beat 3, like the chords can’t wait.

Hurrying chords

Calm chords in the first half, then twice as fast to the end.

Sleep-in chords

Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end.

Double-skip chords

Steady chords with two quick skips, one mid-bar and one at the end.

Swing push

Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes.

Tiptoe chords

One firm chord, then three tiptoe chords between the beats.

Knock-knock chords

Chord, a quick knock-knock, a pause, then one last chord.

Springy chords

A quick double skip at the start, then steady chords to the end.

Slow-down chords

Quick chords rush through the first half, then slow down to land on 4.

Late-hop chords

Steady chords with one quick extra hop after beat 3.

Bossa chords

Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: soft Brazilian chords.

Gospel-clap chords

Skips beat 1, then soulful chords that bounce off the “ands”.

Double-clap chords

Quick double claps on beats 2 and 4, leaving beats 1 and 3 empty.

Shy chords

Waits out beat 1, then a chord on 2 and a little double on 3.

Swaying waltz chords

Two waltz chords, then a late top note after beat 3 that leans forward.

Peekaboo chords

A chord on 2, then two surprises popping up between the beats.

Hand-clap chords

Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4.

Sleepy waltz chords

A long chord, then a double on beat 3: a lazy, rocking waltz.

Wake-and-run chords

One long chord, then three quick ones running into the next bar.

Wobbly chords

Two off-balance chords on the “ands”, then a firm landing on 4.

Cradle chords

A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle.

Lingering chords

Two chords, then a late one after beat 3 that hangs in the air.

Gear-shift chords

Quick even chords that skip beat 3, like an engine changing gear.

Running-late chords

Misses beat 1, then hurries in with busy chords around the beats.

Skip-and-stroll chords

A skippy push at the start, then calm chords on 3 and 4.

Waltz push chords

Chord, a push before beat 3, then the landing: a waltz with a nudge.

Clockwork chords

Four quick, even chords per short bar, ticking like clockwork.

Bouncy bells

A high bell note, then chords bouncing on every “and”.

Jump-in chords

Jumps in just after beat 1, pumps through, and stops before the end.

Rowing-boat chords

Six even chords per bar, rolling along like oars on water.

Hide-and-seek chords

Hides on beat 1, pops up on 2, sneaks in before beat 4, then lands on it.

Groovy chords

Chords jump around the “ands” for a funky, dancing feel.

Catch-up chords

Two chords, a late one after beat 3, then a dash to catch up.

Lub-dub chords

Two quick chords, a pause, two quick chords: just like a heartbeat.

Hammock chords

Long-short, long-short: soft chords sway like a hammock.

Mouse-run chords

Skips beat 1, scurries through four quick chords, then hides.

Polka-hop chords

Chords only on the “ands” in a quick two-beat bar: the “pah” of a polka.

Cartwheel chords

Five evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then land on 4.

Pony-trot chords

Quick trotting chords, then a jump over beat 3 to its “and”.

Double island chords

The island rhythm squeezed in twice per bar: quick and dancy.

Dawdling chords

Two chords, then a lazy late one after beat 3 that catches up on 4.

Spinning-top chords

Six even chords in a three-beat bar, spinning round and round.

Trotting-sleigh chords

Three quick chords on every beat: a rolling, joyful gallop.

Sleigh bells

A high note and two quick chords in a short bar, jingling along.

Slow-dance chords

Four slow chords per bar under a swaying fifties ballad.

Chattering waltz

After the first beat, quick chords and notes chatter to the end of the bar.

Tug-of-war chords

Four even chords stretched across a rocking bar: a gentle push and pull.

Funky-chicken chords

Chords dodge almost every beat in tricky quick spots: pure funk.

Twirling waltz chords

Chord, then a quick twirl of chords into beat 3.

Somersault chords

Evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then flip into the next bar.

Doo-wop chords

Three soft chords on every slow beat: the classic 1950s ballad sound.

Dance-floor chords

Off-centre chords keep landing between the beats: a dance-floor groove.

Zigzag chords

Steady at first, then a quick zigzag of chords around beat 3.

Twinkles & ticks

Two notes rocking, or one note ticking.

Ticking clock

One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick.

Rocking thirds

Two neighbouring chord notes rocking back and forth, soft and sweet.

Twinkle

Two notes twinkling back and forth.

Firefly blink

The top note and the one below blink back and forth like a firefly.

Candle flicker

Two low chord notes flicker back and forth, warm like candlelight.

Lighthouse blink

A note and the one above flash in turn, steady as a lighthouse.

Dewdrop twinkle

Two low, close notes twinkling up and back like morning dew.

Swinging lantern

Two notes far apart swing back and forth like a lantern in the wind.

Starlight twinkle

A chord, then two high notes twinkling like distant stars.

Neon flicker

A rich chord, then two notes flickering with a cool, bluesy glow.

Pendulum swing

One note ticking on every quick beat, rocking in two big swings.

Fairy lights

A chord, then two bright notes blinking like fairy lights.

Dripping tap

A soft chord, then the same note dripping steadily, drop by drop.

Rooftop rain

A chord, then one high note pattering again and again like rain.

Telegraph taps

One note tapping like a telegraph, then slipping a step down.

Marching clock

One note ticking evenly in a short two-beat bar, like a toy march.

Knock-and-peek

The same note knocks five times, then peeks one step higher.

Moonbeam glimmer

The top note dips to a sweet lower note and back, glimmering softly.

Dreamy flicker

Two notes flicker with a soft, dreamy, slightly bluesy colour.

Beacon blink

The root and a higher note blink on and off, calm and clear.

Waltzing clock

One note ticking six times per waltz bar, light and even.

Stepping-down taps

A late start, three taps on one note, then three on a lower one.

Pulsing star

A chord, then one bright high note pulsing on every quick beat.

Bouncing star

A note and its twin an octave away bounce back and forth.

Woodpecker taps

A chord, then a high note tapping again and again like a woodpecker.

Tap-and-nudge

Waits a beat, taps the root five times, then nudges one step up.

Slipping taps

A chord, a few taps on the top note, then a slip one step down.

Woodblock taps

Starting off the beat, the top note taps away, then drops at the end.

Swinging star

A high note and a lower one swing back and forth in quick notes.

Rain-gutter drip

A small chord, then drips on one note that slips down at the end.

Tap-and-hop

One note taps five times, then hops up to the next chord note.

Leaping sparkle

A note and a much higher one leap back and forth, bright and playful.

Cuckoo clock

High, high, a little lower, twice per bar: cuckoo, cuckoo.

Waltz flicker

Two low chord notes flicker back and forth in a gentle waltz.

Jazzy flicker

Two notes with a big gap between them flicker in a smooth, jazzy colour.

Drip-drop slide

Taps on the top note just off the beat, then a slide one step down.

Pitter-patter

A chord, then one note pattering steadily like gentle rain.

Swaying kite

The top note swings down to a low one and back, like a kite.

Bubble pop

A note leaps up to a higher one and back, popping like bubbles.

Snow-globe twinkle

Two low, close notes twinkle up and back in a gentle waltz.

Waltz twinkle

Two neighbouring chord notes twinkle back and forth in three.

Sparkling figures

Right-hand shapes circling the chord.

Rising bubbles

Three notes float up again and again, each time starting just off the beat.

Rising light

Three notes climb again and again, starting just after the beat.

Circling light

Three notes circle round and round in a soft, glowing loop.

Sunrise

Three notes keep climbing in quick loops, bright like the morning sun.

Spinning lantern

Notes circle up through the chord and widen, like a spinning lantern.

Falling stars

Three high notes fall over and over, like stars dropping from the sky.

Swinging bell

A ringing chord, then two low notes swinging back and forth.

Wind chimes

A bright chord, then two notes chiming back and forth in the breeze.

Hailstones

The top note rattles in very quick bursts, like hail on a window.

Doorbell twinkle

A chord rings, then two middle notes twinkle in quick turns.

Falling leaves

Three notes falling again and again, gently drifting down like leaves.

Pinwheel

Three notes spin in a loop that keeps landing in new places.

Snowfall

Three notes from the top keep falling, soft and steady like snow.

Glass bells

A chord, then two clear notes ringing back and forth like glass bells.

Clock-tower chimes

A ringing chord, then two notes chiming steadily like a clock tower.

Raindrop bounce

From a high note down, then bouncing in the middle: raindrops on a pond.

Waterfall

Down from the top and splashing between two notes, over and over.

Rising chords

Up the chord and back in quick notes, gently lifting the song.

Sparkler

One note fizzes in quick little bursts, then wiggles at the end.