Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Artist unknown
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
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 He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother without reading music. The left hand plays wobbly heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4) and the right hand knock-knock chords.
The catchy part of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother 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.
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother accompaniment in letter notes
The Eb – Eb – F7 – Gm – Ab loop with wobbly heartbeat in the left hand and knock-knock chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
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.
Play next
Questions about He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
What are the letter notes for the He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother 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 Eb – Eb – F7 – Gm – Ab, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?
The loop is Eb – Eb – F7 – Gm – Ab (IV – V7 – vi – bVII – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – Cm – Bb.
What key is He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother in?
Bb major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?
Wobbly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.