Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Bridge Over Troubled Water: piano accompaniment sheet music
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1969
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Bridge Over Troubled Water written out as piano music: the IV – IV7 – vi7 – IV – III – vi – I loop in Eb 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 soft chords.
Bridge Over Troubled Water chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Eb 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 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 1 | Ab7 | IV7 | Ab C Eb Gb |
| 2 | Cm7 | vi7 | C Eb G Bb |
| 3 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 3 | G | III | G B D |
| 4 | Cm | vi | C Eb G |
| 4 | Eb | I | 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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and soft chords in the right, over the Ab – Ab7 – Cm7 – Ab – G – Cm – 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.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about Bridge Over Troubled Water
Does the sheet music for Bridge Over Troubled Water 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 Bridge Over Troubled Water?
The loop is Ab – Ab7 – Cm7 – Ab – G – Cm – Eb (IV – IV7 – vi7 – IV – III – vi – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Abm – Eb.
What key is Bridge Over Troubled Water in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Bridge Over Troubled Water?
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 Bridge Over Troubled Water easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Bridge Over Troubled Water?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 10 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.