Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Cantaloupe Island: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Herbie Hancock
- F minor
- 4/4
- 110 BPM
- 1964
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Cantaloupe Island written out as piano music: the i – i7 – i – i7 – i – i7 – i – i7 loop in F minor 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 sings the tune.
Cantaloupe Island chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in F 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 | Fm | i | F Ab C |
| 1 | Fm7 | i7 | F Ab C Eb |
| 2 | Fm | i | F Ab C |
| 2 | Fm7 | i7 | F Ab C Eb |
| 3 | Fm | i | F Ab C |
| 3 | Fm7 | i7 | F Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Fm | i | F Ab C |
| 4 | Fm7 | i7 | F Ab C Eb |
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, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Fm – Fm7 – Fm – Fm7 – Fm – Fm7 – Fm – Fm7 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.
Questions about Cantaloupe Island
Does the sheet music for Cantaloupe Island 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 Cantaloupe Island?
The loop is Fm – Fm7 – Fm – Fm7 – Fm – Fm7 – Fm – Fm7 (i – i7 – i – i7 – i – i7 – i – i7) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is Cantaloupe Island in?
F minor, at about 110 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Cantaloupe Island?
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 Cantaloupe Island easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Cantaloupe Island?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.