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C’est La Vie: piano accompaniment sheet music

By Emerson, Lake & Palmer

  • F major
  • 4/4
  • 130 BPM
  • Medium
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Left hand Rising tideThe right hand sings the tuneChords the loop the song repeats most

Play the full song with sheet music

C’est La Vie written out as piano music: the vi – V – ii – V7 loop in F major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays rising tide (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12), and the right hand sings the tune.

C’est La Vie chord chart

The loop once round, bar by bar, in F major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.

BarChordNumeralNotes
1DmviD F A
2CVC E G
3GmiiG Bb D
4C7V7C E 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: rising tide (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Dm – C – Gm – C7 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 C’est La Vie

Does the sheet music for C’est La Vie 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 C’est La Vie?

The loop is Dm – C – Gm – C7 (vi – V – ii – V7) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.

What key is C’est La Vie in?

F major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in C’est La Vie?

Rising tide: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-12, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is C’est La Vie 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.

Can I hear the real melody of C’est La Vie?

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

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