Higher Ground: piano accompaniment sheet music

E minor
12/8
106 BPM
1973
Easy

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Higher Ground written out as piano music: the i7 – III – IV – i7 – III – IV – i7 – III – IV – i7 – III – IV loop in E minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)), and the right hand sings the tune.

Higher Ground 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	Em7	i7	E G B D
1	G	III	G B D
1	A	IV	A C# E
2	Em7	i7	E G B D
2	G	III	G B D
2	A	IV	A C# E
3	Em7	i7	E G B D
3	G	III	G B D
3	A	IV	A C# E
4	Em7	i7	E G B D
4	G	III	G B D
4	A	IV	A C# E

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: slow-dance heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 (12/8)) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Em7 – G – A – Em7 – G – A – Em7 – G – A – Em7 – G – A 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.

Play next

More by Stevie Wonder

All 44 songs

The same left hand: Slow-dance heartbeat

About this pattern

Questions about Higher Ground

Does the sheet music for Higher Ground 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 Higher Ground?

The loop is Em7 – G – A – Em7 – G – A – Em7 – G – A – Em7 – G – A (i7 – III – IV – i7 – III – IV – i7 – III – IV – i7 – III – IV) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.

What key is Higher Ground in?

E minor, at about 106 beats a minute in 12/8.

What does the left hand play in Higher Ground?

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 Higher Ground easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 12 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Higher Ground?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.