Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
I Heard It Through The Grapevine: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Marvin Gaye
- C major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- IV7–I7–IV7–I7 loop
- 1966
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
I Heard It Through The Grapevine written out as piano music: the IV7 – I7 – IV7 – I7 loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays tick-tick-boom pulse (root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4) and the right hand gospel-clap chords.
I Heard It Through The Grapevine chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C 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 | F7 | IV7 | F A C Eb |
| 2 | C7 | I7 | C E G Bb |
| 3 | F7 | IV7 | F A C Eb |
| 4 | C7 | I7 | C E G Bb |
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: tick-tick-boom pulse (root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4) in the left hand and gospel-clap chords in the right, over the F7 – C7 – F7 – C7 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 I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Does the sheet music for I Heard It Through The Grapevine 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 I Heard It Through The Grapevine?
The loop is F7 – C7 – F7 – C7 (IV7 – I7 – IV7 – I7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is I Heard It Through The Grapevine in?
C major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Heard It Through The Grapevine?
Tick-tick-boom pulse: root bass · 8ths 1-2, 3-4, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Heard It Through The Grapevine 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 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.