Piano chords · Rock drive
Ol’ Man River: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Jerome Kern
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1927
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Ol’ Man River written out as piano music: the I – vi – I – IV – I – IV – I – vi 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 steady chords.
Ol’ Man River 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 |
| 1 | Cm | vi | C Eb G |
| 2 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 2 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 3 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 3 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 4 | Cm | vi | C Eb G |
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 steady chords in the right, over the Eb – Cm – Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab – Eb – Cm 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 Ol’ Man River
Does the sheet music for Ol’ Man River 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 Ol’ Man River?
The loop is Eb – Cm – Eb – Ab – Eb – Ab – Eb – Cm (I – vi – I – IV – I – IV – I – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is Ol’ Man River in?
Eb major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Ol’ Man River?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Ol’ Man River easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 8 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Ol’ Man River?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 5 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.