Piano chords · Rock drive
Hold Back The River: piano accompaniment sheet music
By James Bay
- F major
- 4/4
- 135 BPM
- vi–V–I–IV loop
- 2014
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Hold Back The River written out as piano music: the vi – V – I – IV loop in F major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths), and the right hand sings the tune.
Hold Back The River chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in F 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 | vi | D F A |
| 2 | C | V | C E G |
| 3 | F | I | F A C |
| 4 | Bb | IV | Bb 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: engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Dm – C – F – Bb 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 Hold Back The River
Does the sheet music for Hold Back The River 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 Hold Back The River?
The loop is Dm – C – F – Bb (vi – V – I – IV) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Hold Back The River in?
F major, at about 135 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Hold Back The River?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Hold Back The River easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.