Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
In The Air Tonight: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Phil Collins
- D minor
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1980
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
In The Air Tonight written out as piano music: the VII – VI – VII – i loop in D minor 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 pony-trot chords.
In The Air Tonight chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | VII | C E G |
| 2 | Bb | VI | Bb D F |
| 3 | C | VII | C E G |
| 4 | Dm | i | D F A |
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 pony-trot chords in the right, over the C – Bb – C – Dm 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.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about In The Air Tonight
Does the sheet music for In The Air Tonight 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 In The Air Tonight?
The loop is C – Bb – C – Dm (VII – VI – VII – i) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is In The Air Tonight in?
D minor, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in In The Air Tonight?
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 In The Air Tonight 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.
Can I hear the real melody of In The Air Tonight?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.