Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Red River: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Tom Petty
- G major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 2013
- Medium
Red River written out as piano music: the bIII5 – I5 – bIII5 – I5 loop in G major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays racing heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&) and the right hand woodpecker taps.
Red River 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.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bb | bIII | Bb D F |
| 2 | G | I | G B D |
| 3 | Bb | bIII | Bb D F |
| 4 | G | I | 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: racing heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&) in the left hand and woodpecker taps in the right, over the Bb – G – Bb – 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.
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Questions about Red River
Does the sheet music for Red River 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 Red River?
The loop is Bb – G – Bb – G (bIII5 – I5 – bIII5 – I5) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Red River in?
G major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Red River?
Racing heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3 · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Red River 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.