Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Old Man: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Neil Young
- D major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 1971
- Easy
Old Man written out as piano music: the I – bIII – bVII – IV loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays drowsy heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&) and the right hand hopscotch chords.
Old Man 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 | D | I | D F# A |
| 2 | F | bIII | F A C |
| 3 | C | bVII | C E G |
| 4 | G | IV | G B D |
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: drowsy heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&) in the left hand and hopscotch chords in the right, over the D – F – C – G 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 Old Man
Does the sheet music for Old Man 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 Old Man?
The loop is D – F – C – G (I – bIII – bVII – IV) in D major, and the song ends on C – G – D.
What key is Old Man in?
D major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Old Man?
Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Old Man 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.