Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

Black Or White: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Michael Jackson

  • E major
  • 4/4
  • 110 BPM
  • 1991
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Pop heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords from the chord symbols in the score

The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Black Or White without reading music. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)), and the right hand sings the tune.

The intro of Black Or White in letter notes

The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
A → E
RC#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4 A4 B3+E4+G#4
Lrest
Bar 2
A → E
RA3+E4+F#4 A3 E4+F#4 B3+E4+G#4
Lrest
Bar 3
E → A
RC#4+E4+A4 C#4+E4 A4 B3+E4+G#4
Lrest
Bar 4
A → E
RA3+E4+F#4 A3 E4+F#4 B3+E4+G#4
LE2+E3

Black Or White accompaniment in letter notes

The A – E – A – E – E – A – E – A – E loop with pop heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
A → E
RA3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LA2 A2 A2
Bar 2
A → E
RA3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LA2 E2 E2
Bar 3
E → A
RE4+G#4+B4 A3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LE2 A2 A2
Bar 4
A → E
RA3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4 D#4 E4 F#4 G#4 A4 B4 C#5 D#5
LA2 E2 E2
Bar 5
A → E
RA3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LA2 A2 A2
Bar 6
A → E
RA3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LA2 E2 E2
Bar 7
E → A
RE4+G#4+B4 A3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LE2 A2 A2
Bar 8
A → E
RA3+C#4+E4 E4+G#4+B4
LA2 E2 E2

How to read the bar sheet

The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.

Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.

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Questions about Black Or White

What are the letter notes for the Black Or White piano accompaniment?

Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is A – E – A – E – E – A – E – A – E, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Black Or White?

The loop is A – E – A – E – E – A – E – A – E (IV – I – IV – I – IV – I – IV – I – IV) in E major, and the song ends on E – B – E.

What key is Black Or White in?

E major, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Black Or White?

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 Black Or White easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 9 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Black Or White?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.