Everybody Thinks They Know It Already
It’s funny how many kids THINK they know how to play Chopsticks! Almost uniformly, kids play what they think is the pattern, with 5 beats, or 7 beats, per note cluster. Also, they progress straight out from the first melody note to an A, instead of holding on to the G through the first measure of C chords.
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Position Your Hands On The Piano
The way you position your hands on the piano will determine how easy it is for you to play different songs. You can use a standard method of putting your hands on the piano or you can invent your own. It depends on the way you hear things, and how you want to be treated as a performer. For example some people like their hands put in the palm of their hands, while others want their fingertips pressed up against the keyboard. It all comes down to how you see the world and how you want to be treated as a musician.
One of the most basic methods of playing the piano is known as the time signature. The time signature tells you where to place each key on the piano. Every song has a different key signature. This is because the notes are played in different keys at different times. You should learn about the different keys on the piano, because knowing about them will allow you to memorize more quickly which songs will fit what key signature.
If you want to learn how to play most songs on the piano, you will want to learn about sharps and flats. Most sheet music has sharps and flats in it. When you are taught how to read sheet music, you will learn that there are times when a note is played that way. When you hear a note written out, you might not be able to copy the exact notes, but you should be able to tell when the sheet is written out the way its written.
How To Play Chopsticks On The Piano From Beginner To More Advanced
Good morning. This is Duane. If you had to guess, what would you guess the most popular song is? If someone asked me that question, I would probably guess Clair de Lune or Prelude in C-sharp minor or Moonlight Sonata, something like that or maybe Fur Elise, or some piece like that. In the pop vein, I know one of the most popular songs thats played on the piano is White Christmas, but the most popular song, the most played song on the piano is none of those.
Its Chopsticks.
Thats because not just concert artists, not just recording artists record it, but everybody plays it. I played it when I was probably three-years-old. I imagine my brother showed me how to do that.
Lets go over two ways to play this or maybe three ways how to play Chopsticks on the piano. First, well take a very If you dont know anything about the piano, then find the brand on your piano. Mine is Yamaha, but yours may say Steinway or something else.
Find the group of three keys not the group of two keys and go down to that white note and play the white note above it, and play that six times, one, two, three, four, five, six. Now, drop the bottom note, one, two, three, four, five, six. Now, six times on that, B and D. Now, thats an octave C then you climb back to the middle.
About Duane
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How To Play Chopsticks On A Keyboard Or Piano
When I was in high school, I remember being fascinated with all of the different musical instruments that my teacher showed us and one of them was how to play with chopsticks. It seemed like such an easy instrument to learn to consider that the stick is what we use to eat food and the piano is basically just a musical instrument. I really did not think too much of it when I first discovered it. However, after moving to a college that had a very large musical department, I found out that this instrument was actually quite common and that many of the students there were learning it as well. So needless to say, I decided to get myself a keyboard and found a tutorial on how to play chopsticks.
This was actually a very easy lesson for me to take because I had been curious enough to know how to play the piano before but never really had the urge to actually do so. All I knew was that the piano was my best friend in school so I made sure that I learned how to play a few chords and learned some basic songs. Once I got my own keyboard and decided that I wanted to learn how to play with chopsticks, it really was not that hard. After a short time of using the new equipment, I was surprised at just how good I was at it.
What Is Chopsticks And Why Does It Have So Many Variations

19 March 2021, 10:46
You might know it as one of the following: a 19th-century waltz, a two-handed jazz piano duet or perhaps a general byword for an easy piece of piano music. But what actually is Chopsticks, and who wrote it?
In its simplest form, Chopsticks is a one octave-spanning, C major ditty that every child learns to play on the piano.
But since its composition in 1877, Chopsticks has become so much more than that. Heres the story behind the waltz.
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Harder: Left Hand Chord Inversions
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Now we’re talking about some skill – and some music theory too! With chord inversions in the left hand, the next step will be some Chopin waltzes! Can your students recognize chords when they are in inverted form?
Help prepare them with my scales and chords pages…
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Easy Songs To Learn On The Piano For Beginners
The following is a list that contains 5 easy songs that beginners can learn to play on the piano, including 3 bonus songs you hear on the radio. You should recognize them as I chose these songs in particular not only because they are easy to learn, but they are also popular as well. It is easier to learn how to play a song that you have heard before.
Just dont be too hasty and dont get discouraged. Contrary to what others may say, nobody, can sit down and play the piano great without first learning and practicing, often easiest with piano lessons. Therefore, dont expect too much when you are just starting out. It takes time even to play decent, but with a little effort, you can do it anyone can, you just have to apply yourself.
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How To Play The Chopsticks Chords
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The chord pages – or secondo duet parts – differ slightly. Above, you see root position chords. That is, a G7 chord which has “G” on the bottom of the chord, and a C chord that has “C” at the base of the chord.
G7 is a big chord, but getting familiar with this chord is actually my primary reason for introducing Chopsticks to my students. They know the little G7 “pinch chord” from their early songs such as here, they will encounter and learn well the full chord. Then they can transfer that knowledge over to other keys.
Heart And Soul Piano Duet
Also featured in the hit movie Big is the piano duet Heart and Soul. This is something I recommend playing once youve gotten past Chopsticks. The pianist handling the bottom part will continue to play the same chord pattern throughout the song.
The song is in C major so it will follow this: C, A, F, G. While the left-hand play those single notes, the right hand will play intervals of a third above it. So in this case, the right-hand plays CE, AC, FA, GB. Take a look at the video below to see how that works.
The pianist handling the top notes will play the familiar melody based on the C major scale. It starts with C C C CBABCD, E E E EDCDEF, G C AGFED, CBAGFEDG. Using your ear is important to get the timing right. The rhythm is jazzy and has a swing to it. I like this duet because its easy to learn by ear, and an easy piano duet because it only uses the white keys.
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Who Wrote The Chopsticks Waltz
Composed in 1877 by Euphemia Allen, The Celebrated Chop Waltz was the 16-year-old British composers only published work.
Her brother, a music publisher named Mozart Allen helped get the sheet music published under the pseudonym Arthur de Lulli.
Many copies of Chopsticks still credit the music to an A. De Lulli.
In the original sheet music, Allen includes an unusual instruction: Play both hands turned sideways, little fingers lowest, so that the movement of the hands imitates the chopping from which this waltz gets its name.
She wanted pianists to play the piece in a chopping motion, as the title suggests see the movement demonstrated in the video below.
A Byword For A Simple Piano Piece
Although it originated as a 19th-century waltz, it seems Chopsticks has become so famous that its title has been used to describe any playable piano music.
In the 2004 film The Notebook, Rachel McAdams character Allie plays the first few bars of Chopins Prelude in E minor but refers to the piece as Chopsticks.
It could be that screenwriter Jeremy Leven just got the wrong name.
But the reference also says something about the durability of Chopsticks.
Find the sheet music for Chopsticks here.
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The Evolution Of Musical Chopsticks
Euphemia Allen, a sixteen-year-old British composer, wrote The Celebrated Chop Waltz in 1877, perhaps the only piano tune youve heard. However, there are a few more daring options. Youll meet some of them here at Upbeat. Blinded By the Light by Manfred Manns Earth Band and Margo Guryans Chopsticks Variations are two examples of how different artists have reinterpreted the waltz in the modern day.
Mozart The Magic Flute

For more advanced pianists, Mozarts Magic Flute Duet is a real test of partnership. This piece is known for its strong overture movement. The piece starts with big chords played by both pianists in E flat.
After a few chords the mood changes to more of a melodic sequence supported by chords. After about a minute and a half, the familiar sixteenth note passages with the repeated E flats and short turns occur. While thats going on the other pianist is supporting with a countermelody. This is the main melody and will continue returning throughout the piece.
Like most piano duo works, the melody will sometimes swap between the pianists. Overall the character of this duet is what you would expect from Mozart. Theres a lot of focus on the harmonic outline of the E flat major scale, and the form follows closely to that of Sonata form.
My favorite arrangement of this is the Busoni version. It works best on two pianos, but adjustments can be made to play it on just one piano. Its also been arranged for orchestra and organ.
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Prepare For The Second Measure
Before continuing:
- Make sure youve mastered the first measure. Your left pinky should now be on E. .
- Make sure you keep your right pinky on the G at all times.
- See the following image for piano notes.
- Be patient youll pick it up quickly and easily if you wait.
- Euphemia Allen, a 16-year-old songwriter, wrote The Celebrated Chopsticks Waltz in 1877, which we now refer to as Chopsticks.
Print Out The Sheet Music
Chopsticks music sheets may be found in numerous places on the internet. To study, you must have access to sheet music. You wont need the sheet music after youve mastered it. You dont need to do so, but having a reference point would be helpful. The notes to play can be written down on paper if you cant read music.
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The Importance Of Scales
One thing that every great piano player has in common is regularly practicing scales. We can think of scales as finger exercises that are of the utmost importance to all piano players for multiple reasons
- They help your fingers get used to repetition
- You learn how to coordinate your hands
- Your fingers will actually get a good workout and thereby can move faster
- They will help you to recognize the tone of each note
- They help to stretch your fingers to be able to go from one note to another rapidly
- Scales encourage you to use the right fingering when playing
Here is a simple scale to start you off. Place your left pinky on the C note and your right thumb on the C note that is one step higher. After hitting the C notes together, use your next fingers on both hands to hit the notes to the right, and keep going until you end up with your left thumb hitting the G note, and your right pinky hitting the higher G note, then go backward.
Once you have learned all of the above songs, picking up other songs will be a piece of cake. Dont forget to keep practicing your scales for at least an hour a day. And you dont have to stop there. Start building your own style by adding your own notes and chords to songs you learn. Dont be afraid to try different things, it cant hurt, besides you will never know how it will sound until you try it, and if it sounds good, play it!
About This Music Sheet
Chopsticks is a song by Various.Use your computer keyboard to play Chopsticks music sheet on Virtual Piano.This is an Intermediate song and requires a lot of practice to play well.The recommended time to play this music sheet is 01:00, as verified by Virtual Piano legend,.The song Chopsticks is classified in the genre ofClassicalon Virtual Piano.You can also find other similar songs usingClassic Piano Songs,Fun.
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Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Theme
Although it may not seem so, this piece is also easy to learn using this specific tutorial. Remember to start easy and take your time. You dont have to learn the whole song in one day. Even if it takes you all week, it will be worth it, when you are able to awe your friends while showing off your new piano-playing skills.
The best way to learn a song with these tutorials is by taking it one part at a time. For example, watch and listen to the first few notes, then pause it, learn it, practice it, then learn the next part and repeat the process until you have learned the whole song. Take time out during the day to go over what you learned so you wont forget.
Place Your Fingers On The Keys
This article is about how to play the piano or keyboard and place your fingers on the right keys. Most piano songs start off with the left hand or the right hand . The notes on the piano keyboard or piano sheet music are placed on the appropriate keys by the shape of the song letter, which is usually a capital or small letter. So if you see the A on the keyboard and then the E, an A, B, C, D, F, G, and so on, these are all keys that can be played with your left hand or your right hand .
To play the piano or keyboard correctly, you need to know which notes are played when, and at what fret position. When you look at the piano sheet music you will see that there are numbers printed in certain places . These numbers can be used to determine the position of the notes on the piano or keyboard. For example, if the first note is an A, the next number after it is an E, and so on.
How to Play Chopsticks on a Keyboard or Piano: Learn how to play the notes on the piano or keyboard. Place your hands on the keyboard or the chair that will support you as you move up and down the keyboard. Keep your wrists straight and do not bend your fingers. Use three fingers instead of two for each note. If you are playing the song Fur Elise by Beethoven, use the white keys instead of the black keys. If you are playing the song Waltz for Guitar, use the black keys under your fingers.
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How To Play Chopsticks On The Piano
How to Play Chopsticks on the Piano. One of the easiest piano pieces to play is “Chopsticks.” It’s thought to have gotten its name because the way it’s usually played, with one finger from each hand, resembles Chinese eating utensils however, it was originally meant to be played with the entire hand, held sideways and having the pinky finger striking the piano keys, physically resembling a chopping motion. This simple piano lesson will help you perfect this commonly recognized tune.
Begin with your index fingers from each hand on the F and G notes. These two notes are to the right and left, respectively, of the first black key in a grouping of three when you’re looking from left to right. You can begin from any F and G but it’s most commonly played near the middle of the keyboard. Play these two notes together six times.
Move your left finger over one white note to the E while keeping your right finger on the G. Play these two notes together six times.
Move your left finger down one more white key to the D and your right finger up two white notes to a B. Play these two notes together six times.
Move your left finger down one more white key to a C and your right finger up one white key to the next C. Play these two notes together four times.
Repeat Steps 1 through 4, only striking the two C notes once to end the song.