Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Goodnight Saigon: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Billy Joel
- C major
- 4/4
- 60 BPM
- ii–V7–I–ii loop
- 1981
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Goodnight Saigon written out as piano music: the ii – V7 – I – ii loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) and the right hand steady chords.
Goodnight Saigon chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C 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 | ii | D F A |
| 2 | G7 | V7 | G B D F |
| 3 | C | I | C E G |
| 4 | Dm | ii | D F A |
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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and steady chords in the right, over the Dm – G7 – C – Dm 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 Goodnight Saigon
Does the sheet music for Goodnight Saigon 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 Goodnight Saigon?
The loop is Dm – G7 – C – Dm (ii – V7 – I – ii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Goodnight Saigon in?
C major, at about 60 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Goodnight Saigon?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Goodnight Saigon 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.