Piano chords · Waltz garden
Root Down: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Sara Bareilles
- C major
- 3/4
- 160 BPM
- IV–vi–V–I loop
- 2013
- Medium
Root Down written out as piano music: the IV – vi – V – I loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays oom-pah-pah (waltz oom-pah-pah) and the right hand chattering waltz.
Root Down chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C 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 | IV | F A C |
| 2 | Am | vi | A C E |
| 3 | G | V | G B D |
| 4 | C | I | C 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: oom-pah-pah (waltz oom-pah-pah) in the left hand and chattering waltz in the right, over the F – Am – G – 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.
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Questions about Root Down
Does the sheet music for Root Down 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 Root Down?
The loop is F – Am – G – C (IV – vi – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.
What key is Root Down in?
C major, at about 160 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Root Down?
Oom-pah-pah: waltz oom-pah-pah, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Root Down 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.