Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Alabama: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Neil Young
- C major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1971
- Medium
Alabama written out as piano music: the IV – V – iii – IV loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays late-hop footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4) and the right hand pumping chords.
Alabama chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | IV | F A C |
| 2 | G | V | G B D |
| 3 | Em | iii | E G B |
| 4 | F | IV | F A C |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: late-hop footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4) in the left hand and pumping chords in the right, over the F – G – Em – F chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about Alabama
Does the sheet music for Alabama have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in Alabama?
The loop is F – G – Em – F (IV – V – iii – IV) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Alabama in?
C major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Alabama?
Late-hop footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Alabama easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.