Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
The Duke: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Dave Brubeck
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1955
- Easy
The Duke written out as piano music: the biii – ii – IV – V loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays freeze-tag footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 2&) and the right hand freeze-tag chords.
The Duke 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 | Ebm | biii | Eb Gb Bb |
| 2 | Dm | ii | D F A |
| 3 | F | IV | F A C |
| 4 | G | V | G B D |
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: freeze-tag footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 2&) in the left hand and freeze-tag chords in the right, over the Ebm – Dm – F – G 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
Questions about The Duke
Does the sheet music for The Duke 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 The Duke?
The loop is Ebm – Dm – F – G (biii – ii – IV – V) in C major, and the song ends on Dm – G7 – C.
What key is The Duke in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Duke?
Freeze-tag footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Duke 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.