Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
The Living Years: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Mike Rutherford & B.A. Robertson
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- IV–V–I–IV loop
- 1988
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
The Living Years written out as piano music: the IV – V – I – IV loop in Ab major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays leapfrog pulse (root bass · 1 · 2a · 3), and the right hand sings the tune.
The Living Years chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Ab 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 | Db | IV | Db F Ab |
| 2 | Eb | V | Eb G Bb |
| 3 | Ab | I | Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Db | IV | Db F Ab |
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: leapfrog pulse (root bass · 1 · 2a · 3) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Db – Eb – Ab – Db 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 The Living Years
Does the sheet music for The Living Years 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 Living Years?
The loop is Db – Eb – Ab – Db (IV – V – I – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Ab – Db – Ab.
What key is The Living Years in?
Ab major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Living Years?
Leapfrog pulse: root bass · 1 · 2a · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Living Years 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.