Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Countdown: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Cainon Lamb & others
- F major
- 4/4
- 82 BPM
- 2011
- Medium
Countdown written out as piano music: the vi – ii – I – V loop in F major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays skipping-stone pulse (root bass · 1 · 2& · 3&) and the right hand ticking clock.
Countdown 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.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dm | vi | D F A |
| 2 | Gm | ii | G Bb D |
| 3 | F | I | F A C |
| 4 | C | V | C E G |
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: skipping-stone pulse (root bass · 1 · 2& · 3&) in the left hand and ticking clock in the right, over the Dm – Gm – F – C 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 Countdown
Does the sheet music for Countdown 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 Countdown?
The loop is Dm – Gm – F – C (vi – ii – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Countdown in?
F major, at about 82 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Countdown?
Skipping-stone pulse: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Countdown 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.