Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
The Payback: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by James Brown, Fred Wesley & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1973
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
The Payback written out as piano music: the vi – I – II – vi loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays hop-skip heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4&) and the right hand swing push.
The Payback 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 | Am | vi | A C E |
| 2 | C | I | C E G |
| 3 | D | II | D F# A |
| 4 | Am | vi | A C E |
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: hop-skip heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4&) in the left hand and swing push in the right, over the Am – C – D – Am 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 Payback
Does the sheet music for The Payback 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 Payback?
The loop is Am – C – D – Am (vi – I – II – vi) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is The Payback in?
C major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Payback?
Hop-skip heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 · 3& · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Payback 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.