Learn to Play the Olympic Fanfare with Doorstep Music Lessons

Hey, everybody, it's Sam the Piano Teacher here with Doorstep Music Lessons. The Olympics have just started, and I’m excited to share a special tutorial with you. Today, I’m going to teach you how to play one of my favorite pieces: the Olympic Fanfare, composed by the legendary John Williams. Let’s dive in!

Breaking Down the Olympic Fanfare

This song is structured into three parts. The first part stands out, while the second and third parts are very similar. Let’s start with the beginning.

Part 1: The Timpani Introduction

For the introduction, we’re going to focus on the left hand. Place your second finger on the C below middle C, one octave down. We’ll be alternating between C and G, mimicking the timpani that you hear at the start of the song. It’s a simple back-and-forth motion: C to G and back again.

Part 2: The Main Melody

Next, let’s move on to the main melody played by the trumpets. This melody is composed of four notes and starts on E. Position your right hand so that your thumb (finger 1) is on middle C, and start with your third finger on E.

Here’s how it goes:

1. The first part of the melody

2. The second part, almost identical to the first but ending differently: the first time it ends on D, the second time it ends on C.

When you put these parts together, you get something like this: Play the melody

Adding Chords for a Richer Sound

To make the piece sound even cooler, we can add some chords. There are only two chords in this song: C major (C, E, G) and G major. Instead of playing G major in its root position, we’ll use the first inversion, which is right next to C major. Here’s how to position your fingers:

• For C major: use fingers 1 (C), 3 (E), and 5 (G).

• For G major first inversion: move finger 3 to D and finger 5 to B, keeping G as the root.

When you play these chords together, it sounds like this: Play the chords with the melody

Let’s do that one more time, and I’ll call out the chords as we go along:

1. C major

2. G major

3. C major

4. G major, C major

5. G major

6. C major

7. G major

8. End on C major

And that’s how you play Bugler’s Dream/Olympic Fanfare by John Williams on the piano in C major. The actual piece is in E-flat major. If you’re interested in learning it in the original key, simply transpose everything up a minor third. If you’re not sure how to do that, you might need a music lesson (just kidding, but seriously, we’re here to help!).

Learn with Doorstep Music Lessons

If you’re keen on learning this piece or any other song on piano, guitar, violin, or voice, Doorstep Music Lessons brings the teacher right to your home.