Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Empty Chairs: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Don McLean
- G major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- 1971
- Medium
Empty Chairs written out as piano music: the ii – IV – V7 – I loop in G major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays rolling waves (open arpeggio 1-5-10-5) and the right hand lub-dub chords.
Empty Chairs chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in G 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 | Am | ii | A C E |
| 2 | C | IV | C E G |
| 3 | D7 | V7 | D F# A C |
| 4 | G | I | G B D |
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: rolling waves (open arpeggio 1-5-10-5) in the left hand and lub-dub chords in the right, over the Am – C – D7 – G 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 Empty Chairs
Does the sheet music for Empty Chairs 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 Empty Chairs?
The loop is Am – C – D7 – G (ii – IV – V7 – I) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.
What key is Empty Chairs in?
G major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Empty Chairs?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Empty Chairs 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.