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Maniac: piano accompaniment sheet music

Written by Michael Sembello & Dennis Matkosky

  • C major
  • 4/4
  • 144 BPM
  • 1983
  • Medium
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Left hand Engine 8thsRight hand Sleep-in chordsChords the loop the song repeats most

Maniac written out as piano music: the I – IIIsus – II – iii loop in C 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 sleep-in chords.

Maniac chord chart

The loop once round, bar by bar, in C major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.

BarChordNumeralNotes
1CIC E G
2Esus4IIIsus4E A B
3DIID F# A
4EmiiiE 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 sleep-in chords in the right, over the C – Esus4 – D – 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 Maniac

Does the sheet music for Maniac 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 Maniac?

The loop is C – Esus4 – D – Em (I – IIIsus – II – iii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Maniac in?

C major, at about 144 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Maniac?

Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Maniac 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.