Piano chords · Bossa beach
Sail On: piano accompaniment sheet music
- D major
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- IV–iii–IV–iii loop
- 1979
- Medium
Sail On written out as piano music: the IV – iii – IV – iii loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays bossa sway (root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&)) and the right hand ticking clock.
Sail On chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D 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 | G | IV | G B D |
| 2 | F#m | iii | F# A C# |
| 3 | G | IV | G B D |
| 4 | F#m | iii | 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: bossa sway (root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&)) in the left hand and ticking clock in the right, over the G – F#m – G – 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.
Play next
More by The Commodores
Questions about Sail On
Does the sheet music for Sail On 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 Sail On?
The loop is G – F#m – G – F#m (IV – iii – IV – iii) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Sail On in?
D major, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Sail On?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Sail On 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.