Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

Rather Be: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Clean Bandit

  • B major
  • 4/4
  • 120 BPM
  • 2014
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
Learn it
Style

Left hand Drowsy heartbeatThe right hand sings the tuneChords from the chord symbols in the score

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 Rather Be without reading music. The left hand plays drowsy heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&), and the right hand sings the tune.

The intro of Rather Be 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
G#m → D#m
RB4 D#5 G#5 B4+B5 D#5+B5+C#6 D#5+F#5+A#5
LG#2+G#3 G#2+G#3 G#2+G#3 F#2+F#3
Bar 2
E → B
RG#4 B4 D#5 E5+G#5 G#4+D#5+F#5 F#4+B4+D#5 F#4+D#5+F#5
LE2+E3 E2+E3 E2+E3 B1+B2 B1+B2
Bar 3
G#m → D#m
RB4 D#5 G#5 B4+B5 D#5+B5+C#6 D#5+F#5+A#5
LG#2+G#3 G#2+G#3 G#2+G#3 F#2+F#3 F#2+F#3
Bar 4
E → B
RG#4 B4 D#5 E5+G#5 G#4+D#5+F#5 F#4+B4+D#5 F#4+D#5+F#5
LE2+E3 E2+E3 E2+E3 B1+B2 B1+B2

Rather Be accompaniment in letter notes

The G#m – D#m – E – B – G#m – D#m – E – B loop with drowsy heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
G#m → D#m
RG#4+B4+D#5 D#4+F#4+A#4
LG#2 D#3 D#2
Bar 2
E → B
RE4+G#4+B4 B3+D#4+F#4
LE2 B3 B2
Bar 3
G#m → D#m
RG#4+B4+D#5 D#4+F#4+A#4
LG#2 D#3 D#2
Bar 4
E → B
RE4+G#4+B4 C#4 D#4 E4 F#4 G#4 A#4 B4 C#5
LE2 B3 B2
Bar 5
G#m → D#m
RG#4+B4+D#5 D#4+F#4+A#4
LG#2 D#3 D#2
Bar 6
E → B
RE4+G#4+B4 B3+D#4+F#4
LE2 B3 B2
Bar 7
G#m → D#m
RG#4+B4+D#5 D#4+F#4+A#4
LG#2 D#3 D#2
Bar 8
E → B
RE4+G#4+B4 B3+D#4+F#4
LE2 B3 B2

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.

Play next

Questions about Rather Be

What are the letter notes for the Rather Be 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 G#m – D#m – E – B – G#m – D#m – E – B, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Rather Be?

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

What key is Rather Be in?

B major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Rather Be?

Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Rather Be easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Rather Be?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro 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.