Cuckoo clock
High, high, a little lower, twice per bar: cuckoo, cuckoo. One of the ostinato patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your right hand over a C chord. You need A (thumb, 1) and C (middle finger, 3).
Count and play
Count "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &" (say "and" for &). Play C on 1 and 2, then A on 2&, then C on 3 and 4, then A on 4&.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: E and G. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Cuckoo clock on piano?
High, high, a little lower, twice per bar: cuckoo, cuckoo. The right hand alternating two chord tones. Musicians call it two-note ostinato 8-8-6.
Is Cuckoo clock hard to play?
It is an intermediate pattern. Learn it with your right hand alone at 60% speed first, then play it over a chord loop.
Which songs use Cuckoo clock?
Dog Days Are Over by Florence And The Machine, Auf Uns by Andreas Bourani and Splish Splash by Bobby Darin use Cuckoo clock. The songs on this page all use it in the right hand, the most played first.