Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
The Way: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta & others
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 82 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
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 The Way without reading music. The left hand plays rush-and-step pulse (root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 4), and the right hand sings the tune.
The bass riff of The Way 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.
The Way accompaniment in letter notes
The Bbm7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – C – Fm7 – Bbm7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – C – Fm7 loop with rush-and-step pulse 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 The Way
What are the letter notes for the The Way 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 Bbm7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – C – Fm7 – Bbm7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – C – Fm7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in The Way?
The loop is Bbm7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – C – Fm7 – Bbm7 – Eb7 – Abmaj7 – C – Fm7 (ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – III – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – III – vi7) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is The Way in?
Ab major, at about 82 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Way?
Rush-and-step pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Way easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 10 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of The Way?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the bass riff 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.