Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

Pompeii: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Bastille

  • A major
  • 4/4
  • 128 BPM
  • 2013
  • Easy
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Left hand Lub-dub heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords worked out from the notes of the famous part

The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Pompeii without reading music. The left hand plays lub-dub heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&), and the right hand sings the tune.

The main tune of Pompeii in letter notes

The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
D → A
RD5 A4 F#4+D5 A4 E4+C#5
LD3 A2
Bar 2
A → C#m
RC#5 A4 E4+C#5 A4 F#4+C#5
LA2 G#2
Bar 3
F#m → E
RC#5 A4 F#4+C#5 A4 E4+G#4+B4
LF#2+F#3 E2+E3
Bar 4
E
RB4 A4 E4+G#4+B4 A4 F#4+D5
LE2+E3

Pompeii accompaniment in letter notes

The D – A – A – C#m – F#m – E – E loop with lub-dub heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
D → A
RD4+F#4+A4 A3+C#4+E4
LD2 D2 A2 A2
Bar 2
A → C#m
RA3+C#4+E4 C#4+E4+G#4
LA2 A2 C#3 C#3
Bar 3
F#m → E
RF#4+A4+C#5 E4+G#4+B4
LF#2 F#2 E2 E2
Bar 4
E
RE4+G#4+B4 C#4 D4 E4 F#4 G#4 A4 B4 C#5
LE2 E2 E2 E2
Bar 5
D → A
RD4+F#4+A4 A3+C#4+E4
LD2 D2 A2 A2
Bar 6
A → C#m
RA3+C#4+E4 C#4+E4+G#4
LA2 A2 C#3 C#3
Bar 7
F#m → E
RF#4+A4+C#5 E4+G#4+B4
LF#2 F#2 E2 E2
Bar 8
E
RE4+G#4+B4
LE2 E2 E2 E2

How to read the bar sheet

The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.

Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.

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Questions about Pompeii

What are the letter notes for the Pompeii piano accompaniment?

Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is D – A – A – C#m – F#m – E – E, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Pompeii?

The loop is D – A – A – C#m – F#m – E – E (IV – I – iii – vi – V – IV – I) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.

What key is Pompeii in?

A major, at about 128 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pompeii?

Lub-dub heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Pompeii easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Pompeii?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.