Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play I Shot The Sheriff on piano
By Eric Clapton
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 95 BPM
- 1974
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn I Shot The Sheriff in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm – Eb – Dm – Gm
How it goes
I Shot The Sheriff sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Dm is D, F and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GmviEbIVDmiiiGmvi- GmG · Bb · D
- EbEb · G · Bb
- DmD · F · A
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 95 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about I Shot The Sheriff
What chords are in I Shot The Sheriff?
The loop is Gm – Eb – Dm – Gm (vi – IV – iii – vi) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is I Shot The Sheriff in?
Bb major, at about 95 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Shot The Sheriff?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Shot The Sheriff easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.