Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
John Henry: piano accompaniment sheet music
- D major
- 2/2
- 100 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
John Henry written out as piano music: the bVII – I – vi – I loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays three-step climb (broken chord 1-5-8) and the right hand hopscotch chords.
John Henry chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D 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 | C | bVII | C E G |
| 2 | D | I | D F# A |
| 3 | Bm | vi | B D F# |
| 4 | D | 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: three-step climb (broken chord 1-5-8) in the left hand and hopscotch chords in the right, over the C – D – Bm – D 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 John Henry
Does the sheet music for John Henry 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 John Henry?
The loop is C – D – Bm – D (bVII – I – vi – I) in D major, and the song ends on D – G – D.
What key is John Henry in?
D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in John Henry?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is John Henry 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.