Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Barrett Strong
- A minor
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone written out as piano music: the i – VI – III – VII loop in A minor 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 deep-breath chords.
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Am | i | A C E |
| 2 | F | VI | F A C |
| 3 | C | III | C E G |
| 4 | G | VII | 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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and deep-breath chords in the right, over the Am – 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.
Questions about Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
Does the sheet music for Papa Was A Rollin' Stone 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 Was A Rollin' Stone?
The loop is Am – F – C – G (i – VI – III – VII) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Papa Was A Rollin' Stone in?
A minor, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Papa Was A Rollin' Stone?
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 Was A Rollin' Stone 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.