Piano chords · Old-time stride
Basket Case: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Sara Bareilles
- D major
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- V–IV–I–V loop
- 2010
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Basket Case written out as piano music: the V – IV – I – V loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays oom-pah (bass + chords) and the right hand ticking clock.
Basket Case 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 | A | V | A C# E |
| 2 | G | IV | G B D |
| 3 | D | I | D F# A |
| 4 | A | V | A C# E |
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: oom-pah (bass + chords) in the left hand and ticking clock in the right, over the A – G – D – A 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 Basket Case
Does the sheet music for Basket Case 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 Basket Case?
The loop is A – G – D – A (V – IV – I – V) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Basket Case in?
D major, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Basket Case?
Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Basket Case 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.