Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Heart Shaped Box: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Nirvana
- E minor
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- 1993
- Medium
Heart Shaped Box written out as piano music: the i – iv7 – IV – IV7 – VI – V7 – V loop in E minor 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 pumping chords.
Heart Shaped Box chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in E minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Em | i | E G B |
| 1 | Am7 | iv7 | A C E G |
| 2 | A | IV | A C# E |
| 2 | A7 | IV7 | A C# E G |
| 3 | C | VI | C E G |
| 4 | B7 | V7 | B D# F# A |
| 4 | B | V | B D# F# |
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 pumping chords in the right, over the Em – Am7 – A – A7 – C – B7 – B 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.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about Heart Shaped Box
Does the sheet music for Heart Shaped Box 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 Heart Shaped Box?
The loop is Em – Am7 – A – A7 – C – B7 – B (i – iv7 – IV – IV7 – VI – V7 – V) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is Heart Shaped Box in?
E minor, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Heart Shaped Box?
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 Heart Shaped Box easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Heart Shaped Box?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.