Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
There Once Was A Man: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
- Eb major
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- IV–I–V7–I loop
- 1954
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
There Once Was A Man written out as piano music: the IV – I – V7 – I loop in Eb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) and the right hand hopscotch bells.
There Once Was A Man chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Eb 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 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 2 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
| 3 | Bb7 | V7 | Bb D F Ab |
| 4 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
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: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and hopscotch bells in the right, over the Ab – Eb – Bb7 – Eb 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 There Once Was A Man
Does the sheet music for There Once Was A Man 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 There Once Was A Man?
The loop is Ab – Eb – Bb7 – Eb (IV – I – V7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is There Once Was A Man in?
Eb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in There Once Was A Man?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is There Once Was A Man 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.