Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Papa Don’t Take No Mess: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by James Brown, Fred Wesley & others
- F major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1974
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Papa Don’t Take No Mess written out as piano music: the I7 – ii – I7 – ii loop in F major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)), and the right hand sings the tune.
Papa Don’t Take No Mess chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in F 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 | F7 | I7 | F A C Eb |
| 2 | Gm | ii | G Bb D |
| 3 | F7 | I7 | F A C Eb |
| 4 | Gm | ii | G Bb 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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the F7 – Gm – F7 – Gm 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.
Questions about Papa Don’t Take No Mess
Does the sheet music for Papa Don’t Take No Mess 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 Papa Don’t Take No Mess?
The loop is F7 – Gm – F7 – Gm (I7 – ii – I7 – ii) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is Papa Don’t Take No Mess in?
F major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Papa Don’t Take No Mess?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Papa Don’t Take No Mess 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.