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Hit The Road Jack: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Ray Charles
- A minor
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 1961
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Hit The Road Jack written out as piano music: the i – VI – V7 – i – VI – V7 loop in A minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays leapfrog pulse (root bass · 1 · 2a · 3) and the right hand steady chords.
Hit The Road Jack chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A 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 | Am | i | A C E |
| 2 | F | VI | F A C |
| 2 | E7 | V7 | E G# B D |
| 3 | Am | i | A C E |
| 4 | F | VI | F A C |
| 4 | E7 | V7 | E G# B D |
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: leapfrog pulse (root bass · 1 · 2a · 3) in the left hand and steady chords in the right, over the Am – F – E7 – Am – F – E7 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 Hit The Road Jack
Does the sheet music for Hit The Road Jack 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 Hit The Road Jack?
The loop is Am – F – E7 – Am – F – E7 (i – VI – V7 – i – VI – V7) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Hit The Road Jack in?
A minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Hit The Road Jack?
Leapfrog pulse: root bass · 1 · 2a · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hit The Road Jack easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Hit The Road Jack?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune 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.