Notalo › Piano songs with letters › The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner — piano notes with letters
The first half of the American national anthem in C major, 3/4 time, from “O say can you see” to “last gleaming”. The range is wide — from the low C to the E above the staff — which is exactly why it is famously hard to sing.
John Stafford Smith, 1773 melody, 1814 words · C major · 3/4 · public domain · arranged and labeled by Notalo
Hear it. A MIDI file of exactly these notes at 100 BPM — open it in any music app, or slow it down to practice.
Download MIDIAbout the song
The tune began as “To Anacreon in Heaven”, a London gentlemen's club song written by John Stafford Smith around 1773. Francis Scott Key set his poem about the bombardment of Fort McHenry to it in 1814, and it became the official United States national anthem in 1931. It spans an octave and a fifth, which is why it is so often sung badly; on the piano that range is no trouble at all.
How to play it, phrase by phrase
“O say can you see” is the pickup G E, then C E G and the high C. “By the dawn's early light” is E D C, E F♯ G. “What so proudly we hailed” is G G, E D C, B. “At the twilight's last gleaming” is A B C C, G E and a long low C. Watch the two long notes: the high C in bar 2 and the G in bar 4 are each held two beats. The left hand plays C, D, G and C chords — the D chord under bar 3 is what gives the F♯ its lift.
Letter notes, bar by bar (right hand)
Read left to right; a | is a bar line. Chord symbols are for the left hand or a guitar.
| Bar | Chord | Right-hand letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Em | G E |
| 2 | C | C E G |
| 3 | C | C E D |
| 4 | D7 | C E F♯ |
| 5 | G | G G G |
| 6 | C | E D C |
| 7 | G | B A B |
| 8 | C | C C G |
| 9 | C | E C |
Three things to watch
- The pickup “O say” is a dotted rhythm: long G, short E.
- Bar 3's F♯ is the only black key; it leads up to the G in bar 4.
- Bars 5–6 are the peak: high E, then D, C, B on the way down. Do not rush the B.
Have a different version, or a different song? Upload your own sheet music — a photo or PDF — and Notalo writes the letters under every note the same way, plus chords and a MIDI file.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this sheet music free to print and use?
Yes. The Star-Spangled Banner is in the public domain and this arrangement was written and rendered by Notalo. Print it, share it, use it in lessons.
What do the colors mean?
Red letters are the right hand (treble clef), blue letters are the left hand (bass clef), green is the chord for the bar. This is the same output Notalo gives for any sheet music you upload.
Can I get it with Do Re Mi or numbers instead of letters?
Yes — download the image above, upload it to Notalo, and pick solfège (Do Re Mi), German letters, or numbers (1 2 3) as the label style.