Would you like to learn how to play the notes of the song Heart and Soul on the piano? You’ve come to the right place!
Heart and Soul is a popular jazz tune by American composer and actor Hoagy Carmichael, first published in 1938.
From the moment of its release, the song was a great success with contemporaries. To this day, it remains one of the most famous jazz compositions of all time.
In this article, we’ll learn how to play the notes of Heart and Soul on the piano. First we’ll look at the notes to be played with the right hand, followed by those with the left. Each section will be accompanied by a tutorial video to reinforce your learning.
At the end of the article, the aim is for you to be able to play this famous jazz song on the piano.
Are you ready? Let’s get started!
Bonus : you can also learn to play this song at your own pace on our interactive piano learning app La Touche Musicale.
Free download: >> >> The guide to learn 10 easy piano pieces.
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We’re going to start this tutorial article with a few piano basics. Do you know your way around a piano keyboard and which key corresponds to which note? This is essential before you start playing your first pieces. Take a close look at the following image:
The name of the notes on a piano keyboard.
In this image, you can see the keys of the piano and how they relate to the notes (C, D, E, etc.).
If you take a closer look at the black keys, you’ll see that they’re arranged in series of two or three. This pattern is useful for finding your way around the keyboard.
To find a note, C is your starting point, since an octave (from C to B) always begins with this note. C is invariably located on the white key to the left of a duo of black keys. Once you’ve identified C, the rest of the notes, such as B, G or D, become easy to locate.
It would be beneficial to practice identifying these notes on the keyboard. Once you’ve got the hang of it, it will make it easier for you to follow this tutorial on Heart and Soul for piano.
Now that you’ve mastered orientation on the piano keyboard, let’s start by determining the initial note to play with the right hand for Hoagy Carmichael’s Heart and Soul.
Place the index finger of your right hand on the C of the keyboard:
The note C is the first to be played by the right hand on the piano track Heart and Soul.
Found your C note? Great!
Now we’re going to play all the notes in the piece with our right hand.
To do this, press the following keys on your piano in succession:
C – C – C – C – B – A – B – C – D – E – E – E – E – D – C – D – E – F – G – C – A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A – G – F – G – A – B – C – C – C – C – B – A – B – C – D – E – E – E – D – C – D – E – F – G – – C – A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A – G – F – G – A – B – C – C – C – C – B – A – B – C – D – E – E – E – D – C – D – E – F – G – – C – A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A – G – F – G – A – B – – C – C – C – C – B – A – B – C – D – E – E – E – D – C – D – E – F – G – – C – A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A – G – F – G – A – B – C+C – C+C – C+C – C+C – B+B – A+A – B+B – C+C – D+D – E+E – E+E – E+E – E+E – D+D – C+C – D+D – E+E – F+F – G+G – C+C – A+A – G+G – F+F – E+E – D+D – C+C – B+B – A+A – G+G – F+F – E – D – C+E+G+C.
Once you’ve played all these notes in succession, you’ll have reproduced the entire Heart and Soul melody with your right hand.
Practice playing this succession of notes over and over until you’ve mastered it to perfection.
Heart and Soul on the piano: the notes of the right hand.
What better way to learn than with a demonstration video showing you in real time the notes you need to play with your right hand to reproduce the melody of the piece? Watch our video guide and press the keys according to the arrival of the notes shown in the tutorial.
Now that you’ve mastered the right-hand score (or treble clef) for Heart and Soul on the piano, congratulations!
Now let’s move on to the notes to be played with your left hand.
Play the notes ofHeart and Soul with the right hand on an interactive app
La Touche Musicale app waits for you to play the right note with your right hand on your piano before moving on to the next one.
On the piano, the left hand generally plays the accompanying harmonies, while the right hand takes care of the main melody. The left hand enriches your performance by adding substance and nuance.
Following a similar approach to that of the right hand, let’s start by determining the initial note to be played with your left hand. This is also C, but an octave lower than the right hand:
The note C is the first to be played by the left hand on the piano track Heart and Soul.
Have you managed to find the C in the right octave on your piano? Perfect!
As with the right hand, we can now play all the notes in the left hand (F clef).
Press the following notes one after the other:
C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – A – F – G – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – A – C+E – F – A+C – G – B+D – C – E+G – E+G – A – C+E – C+E – F – A+C – A+C – G – B+D – B+D – C – E+G – E+G – A – C+E – C+E – F – A+C – A+C – G – B+D – B+D – C – E+G – E+G – A – C+E – C+E – F – A+C – A+C – G – B+D – B+D – C – E+G – E+G – A – C+E – C+E – F – A+C – A+C – G – B+D – B+D – C+C.
Play all these notes in a row to reproduce the accompaniment to Heart and Soul with your left hand on your piano keyboard.
As with the right hand, we recommend that you practice playing this sequence of notes over and over again until you feel perfectly comfortable with it. Your playing should be fluid by the end of your practice.
Heart and Soul on the piano: the notes of the left hand.
Naturally, we haven’t forgotten to include an instructional video illustrating each note to be played with the left hand in this iconic jazz piece. Observe each note carefully and press the right keys at the right moment to faithfully reproduce the accompaniment.
Play the notes of Heart and Soul with the left hand on an interactive app
The La Touche Musicale app waits for you to play the correct note with your left hand on your piano before moving on to the next.
Congratulations! You’ve now mastered the treble and bass clefs for Heart and Soul on the piano!
The next challenge is to combine the two hands to play the whole piece.
So let’s get to work on that. Are you ready? Let’s get started!
Knowing how to handle both hands simultaneously at the piano is a must for beginners. Remain calm and remember that hand coordination is often not mastered right away.
Don’t have a negative view of yourself. You have your talents. Encountering difficulties is a normal part of learning, but once you’ve overcome them, the feeling of accomplishment will be total.
Start gently. Don’t set the bar too high right away. Aiming to master a piece with both hands in 30 minutes could lead to frustration. Learning your favorite pieces on the piano should remain a pleasure.
Adapting to a new piece can take several weeks. However, once this time has passed, you’ll be able to play your favorite piece with brio. You’ll have practiced it so much that you’ll even be able to reproduce it without help (such as following consecutive notes, as we’ve shown with our piano learning app La Touche Musicale), since you’ll have memorized every note.
A word of advice: segment the piece into short fragments (say, between 5 and 10 seconds).
Start by isolating the right hand (the melody of the piece) for this length of time, playing it several times. Then concentrate on the accompaniment (left hand). Once each hand is fluid on this segment, try merging the two.
When you’re comfortable with one segment, move on to the next and repeat this training method. And when the time comes, join the segments together. By progressing step by step in this way, you’ll be able to perform the whole piece.
Adopting this step-by-step approach will make you feel every step of the way. With practice, it will feel more and more natural.
Heart and Soul on the piano: the notes of both hands.
Watch this comprehensive video tutorial to learn the secrets of playing Heart and Soul on the piano with both hands.
Understand that it will take perseverance and practice, but be confident in your abilities. Keep an eye out for variations in rhythm and ensure perfect synchronization between your hands.
At certain moments, notes will have to be played simultaneously, while at others they will be played one after the other.
If you need to take your time, don’t hesitate to pause the video when the notes appear on the on-screen keyboard. This will give you time to position your fingers perfectly for the right interpretation.
If you prefer to adjust your fingers while letting the music continue, you’ll be delighted to know that these video sequences are taken from our La Touche Musicale app.
It offers you several ways of playing the notes of your favorite songs interactively, including one where the piece progresses only if you press the right notes. What’s more, it superimposes the notes (C, D, E, etc.) on scrolling strips, as illustrated in these videos. This device is there to guide you, and we recommend it as a complementary learning experience to this tutorial article.
With an impressive variety of pieces covering different genres and complexities, we believe our app will enhance your piano experience. So, are you tempted to discover it?
Play the notes of Heart and Soul with both hands on an interactive app
The La Touche Musicale app waits for you to play the right notes with both hands on your piano before moving on to the next.
You can now play all the notes of the song Heart and Soul on the piano, congratulations!
If you enjoyed this tutorial article, you should know that we’ve written similar ones for other popular songs in various genres:
Our tutorial has achieved its objectives: you can now master the notes of Heart and Soul on the piano with both hands.
Here’s the link to the free Heart and Soul PDF sheet music.
Now you can play this song whenever and wherever you like.
And remember, for a fun and effective way to learn this piece, the La Touche Musicale app is at your disposal!
See you soon!
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