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Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

Pretender: piano accompaniment sheet music

By Jackson Browne

  • G major
  • 4/4
  • 100 BPM
  • 1976
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Left hand Pop heartbeatRight hand Late-knock chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

Play the full song with sheet music

Pretender written out as piano music: the I – IV – I – IV loop in G 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 late-knock chords.

Pretender chord chart

The loop once round, bar by bar, in G major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.

BarChordNumeralNotes
1GIG B D
3CIVC E 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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and late-knock chords in the right, over the G – G – C – C 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 Pretender

Does the sheet music for Pretender 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 Pretender?

The loop is G – G – C – C (I – IV – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on G – C – G.

What key is Pretender in?

G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Pretender?

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 Pretender 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.

Can I hear the real melody of Pretender?

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

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