Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
It’s A Hard Life: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Freddie Mercury
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 56 BPM
- I–bVII–I–bVII loop
- 1984
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany It’s A Hard Life without reading music. The left hand plays walking roots (root bass · quarters), and the right hand sings the tune.
It’s A Hard Life accompaniment in letter notes
The Bb – Ab – Bb – Ab loop with walking roots in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
Play next
More by Freddie Mercury
Questions about It’s A Hard Life
What are the letter notes for the It’s A Hard Life piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is Bb – Ab – Bb – Ab, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in It’s A Hard Life?
The loop is Bb – Ab – Bb – Ab (I – bVII – I – bVII) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is It’s A Hard Life in?
Bb major, at about 56 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in It’s A Hard Life?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It’s A Hard Life 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.