Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Refugee: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Tom Petty & Mike Campbell
- A major
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- vi–I–V–vi loop
- 1979
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Refugee written out as piano music: the vi – I – V – vi loop in A 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 wait-a-beat chords.
Refugee chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A 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 | F#m | vi | F# A C# |
| 2 | A | I | A C# E |
| 3 | E | V | E G# B |
| 4 | F#m | vi | F# A C# |
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 wait-a-beat chords in the right, over the F#m – A – E – F#m 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 Refugee
Does the sheet music for Refugee 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 Refugee?
The loop is F#m – A – E – F#m (vi – I – V – vi) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Refugee in?
A major, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Refugee?
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 Refugee 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.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.