Piano chords · Old-time stride
Start A Fire: piano accompaniment sheet music
By John Legend
- C# minor
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- bVII–i–bVII–i loop
- 2014
- Easy
Start A Fire written out as piano music: the bVII – i – bVII – i loop in C# minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays stride jumps (stride) and the right hand marching chords.
Start A Fire chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C# minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | VII | B D# F# |
| 2 | C#m | i | C# E G# |
| 3 | B | VII | B D# F# |
| 4 | C#m | 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: stride jumps (stride) in the left hand and marching chords in the right, over the B – C#m – B – C#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 Start A Fire
Does the sheet music for Start A Fire 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 Start A Fire?
The loop is B – C#m – B – C#m (bVII – i – bVII – i) in C# minor, and the song ends on A – B – C#m.
What key is Start A Fire in?
C# minor, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Start A Fire?
Stride jumps: stride, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Start A Fire 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.