Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Be What You Are: piano accompaniment sheet music
By The Staple Singers
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 107 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1973
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Be What You Are written out as piano music: the I – IV – I – IV loop in Bb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays lub-dub heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&) and the right hand freeze-tag chords.
Be What You Are chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Bb 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 | Bb | I | Bb D F |
| 2 | Eb | IV | Eb G Bb |
| 3 | Bb | I | Bb D F |
| 4 | Eb | IV | Eb G Bb |
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: lub-dub heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&) in the left hand and freeze-tag chords in the right, over the Bb – Eb – Bb – Eb 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.
Play next
Questions about Be What You Are
Does the sheet music for Be What You Are 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 Be What You Are?
The loop is Bb – Eb – Bb – Eb (I – IV – I – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Be What You Are in?
Bb major, at about 107 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Be What You Are?
Lub-dub heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Be What You Are 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.