Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Break It Off: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Rihanna
- B minor
- 4/4
- 125 BPM
- i–bVI–bVII–i loop
- 2006
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Break It Off written out as piano music: the i – bVI – bVII – i loop in B minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays double island pulse (root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4&) and the right hand candle flicker.
Break It Off chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in B minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bm | i | B D F# |
| 2 | G | VI | G B D |
| 3 | A | VII | A C# E |
| 4 | Bm | i | B D F# |
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: double island pulse (root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4&) in the left hand and candle flicker in the right, over the Bm – G – A – Bm 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 Break It Off
Does the sheet music for Break It Off 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 Break It Off?
The loop is Bm – G – A – Bm (i – bVI – bVII – i) in B minor, and the song ends on G – A – Bm.
What key is Break It Off in?
B minor, at about 125 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Break It Off?
Double island pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3 · 3a · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Break It Off 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.