Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Baby Can I Hold You: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Tracy Chapman
- D major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–ii–IV–I loop
- 1988
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Baby Can I Hold You written out as piano music: the I – ii – IV – I loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) and the right hand skipping-stone chords.
Baby Can I Hold You chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D 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 | D | I | D F# A |
| 2 | Em | ii | E G B |
| 3 | G | IV | G B D |
| 4 | D | I | D F# A |
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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and skipping-stone chords in the right, over the D – Em – G – D 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 Baby Can I Hold You
Does the sheet music for Baby Can I Hold You 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 Baby Can I Hold You?
The loop is D – Em – G – D (I – ii – IV – I) in D major, and the song ends on Em – G – D.
What key is Baby Can I Hold You in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Baby Can I Hold You?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Baby Can I Hold You easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.