Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
I Was Only Nineteen: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by John Schumann
- A major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- V–IV–I–V loop
- 1983
- Medium
I Was Only Nineteen written out as piano music: the V – IV – I – V loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) and the right hand tap-and-nudge.
I Was Only Nineteen chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A 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 | E | V | E G# B |
| 2 | D | IV | D F# A |
| 3 | A | I | A C# E |
| 4 | E | V | E G# B |
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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and tap-and-nudge in the right, over the E – D – A – E 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 Was Only Nineteen
Does the sheet music for I Was Only Nineteen 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 Was Only Nineteen?
The loop is E – D – A – E (V – IV – I – V) in A major, and the song ends on A – G – A.
What key is I Was Only Nineteen in?
A major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Was Only Nineteen?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Was Only Nineteen 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.