Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Smooth Criminal: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
- A minor
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1987
- Easy
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 Smooth Criminal without reading music. The left hand plays sleepy heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 3 · 3&), and the right hand sings the tune.
The repeating figure of Smooth Criminal 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.
Smooth Criminal accompaniment in letter notes
The F – F – G7 – F – F – G7 loop with sleepy heartbeat in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
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.
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Questions about Smooth Criminal
What are the letter notes for the Smooth Criminal 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 F – F – G7 – F – F – G7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Smooth Criminal?
The loop is F – F – G7 – F – F – G7 (VI – VII7 – VI – VII7 – VI – VII7) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.
What key is Smooth Criminal in?
A minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Smooth Criminal?
Sleepy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 3&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Smooth Criminal easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Smooth Criminal?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.