Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Tom Sawyer: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson
- E major
- 2/2
- 136 BPM
- 1981
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Tom Sawyer written out as piano music: the bVI – I – bVII – bVIIsus loop in E major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays hopping heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 1& · 2& · 3) and the right hand ticking clock.
Tom Sawyer chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in E 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 | C | bVI | C E G |
| 2 | E | I | E G# B |
| 3 | D | bVII | D F# A |
| 4 | Dsus4 | bVIIsus4 | D G A |
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: hopping heartbeat (root bass · 1 · 1& · 2& · 3) in the left hand and ticking clock in the right, over the C – E – D – Dsus4 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 Tom Sawyer
Does the sheet music for Tom Sawyer 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 Tom Sawyer?
The loop is C – E – D – Dsus4 (bVI – I – bVII – bVIIsus) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Tom Sawyer in?
E major, at about 136 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Tom Sawyer?
Hopping heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2& · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Tom Sawyer easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.