Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Slow dance ’50s

Fallin': easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Alicia Keys

  • E minor
  • 12/8
  • 135 BPM
  • 2001
  • Easy
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Left hand Slow-dance heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords from the chord symbols in the score

The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Fallin' without reading music. The left hand plays slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)), and the right hand sings the tune.

The catchy part of Fallin' in letter notes

The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Em → Bm7
RB3+E4+G4 D4+F#4 G3+B3+E4 G3+B3+E4 G4+B4 F#4+A4 G4+B4 F#4+A4 B3+E4+G4 A3+D4
LE2 E2 E2 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1
Bar 2
Em → Bm7
RB3+E4+G4 E4+G4 B3+E4 E4+G4 G3+B3 A3+D4 B3+E4 D4+F#4
LE2 E2 E2 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 D2
Bar 3
Em → Bm7
RB3+E4+G4 D4+F#4 G3+B3+E4 G3+B3+E4 G4+B4 F#4+A4 G4+B4 F#4+A4 B3+E4+G4 A3+D4 A3+D4 A3+D4
LE2 E2 E2 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1
Bar 4
Em → Bm7
RG3+B3+E4 B3+E4+G4 G3+B3+E4 B3+E4+G4 G3+B3 A3+D4 B3+E4 D4+F#4
LE2 E2 E2 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1

Fallin' accompaniment in letter notes

The Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 loop with slow-dance heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 2
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 3
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 4
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 F#4 A4 B4 D5 F#5 A5 B5 D6 F#6 A6 B6 D7
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 5
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 6
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 7
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2
Bar 8
Em → Bm7
RE4+G4+B4 B3+D4+F#4
LE2 E2 B2 B2

How to read the bar sheet

The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.

Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.

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Questions about Fallin'

What are the letter notes for the Fallin' piano accompaniment?

Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Fallin'?

The loop is Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 – Em – Bm7 (i – v7 – i – v7 – i – v7 – i – v7) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Fallin' in?

E minor, at about 135 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Fallin'?

Slow-dance heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Fallin' 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 Fallin'?

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

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.