Piano chords · Rock drive
I Won’t Back Down: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Tom Petty & Jeff Lynne
- G major
- 4/4
- 115 BPM
- vi–V–I–vi loop
- 1989
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
I Won’t Back Down written out as piano music: the vi – V – I – vi loop in G 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 peekaboo chords.
I Won’t Back Down chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in G 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 | Em | vi | E G B |
| 2 | D | V | D F# A |
| 3 | G | I | G B D |
| 4 | Em | vi | 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: engine 8ths (root bass · 8ths) in the left hand and peekaboo chords in the right, over the Em – D – G – Em 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 Won’t Back Down
Does the sheet music for I Won’t Back Down 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 Won’t Back Down?
The loop is Em – D – G – Em (vi – V – I – vi) in G major, and the song ends on Em – D – G.
What key is I Won’t Back Down in?
G major, at about 115 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Won’t Back Down?
Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Won’t Back Down 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.