Piano chords · Rock drive
Not Fade Away: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Buddy Holly
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- I–IV–I–IV loop
- 1957
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Not Fade Away written out as piano music: the I – IV – I – IV loop in Eb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays power fifths (lh power fifths) and the right hand knock-knock chords.
Not Fade Away chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Eb 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 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 2 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 3 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 4 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
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: power fifths (lh power fifths) in the left hand and knock-knock chords in the right, over the Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab 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 Not Fade Away
Does the sheet music for Not Fade Away 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 Not Fade Away?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab (I – IV – I – IV) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Ab – Eb.
What key is Not Fade Away in?
Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Not Fade Away?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Not Fade Away 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.