Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Folsom Prison Blues: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Johnny Cash
- G major
- 2/2
- 110 BPM
- 1956
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Folsom Prison Blues written out as piano music: the I – V – vi – IV loop in G major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays doorbell ding-dong (broken chord 8-8-5-5) and the right hand wait-a-beat chords.
Folsom Prison Blues 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 | G | I | G B D |
| 2 | D | V | D F# A |
| 3 | Em | vi | E G B |
| 4 | C | IV | 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: doorbell ding-dong (broken chord 8-8-5-5) in the left hand and wait-a-beat chords in the right, over the G – D – Em – 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 Folsom Prison Blues
Does the sheet music for Folsom Prison Blues 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 Folsom Prison Blues?
The loop is G – D – Em – C (I – V – vi – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Folsom Prison Blues in?
G major, at about 110 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Folsom Prison Blues?
Doorbell ding-dong: broken chord 8-8-5-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Folsom Prison Blues easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.