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True Colors: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly
- F major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1986
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
True Colors written out as piano music: the vi – V – I – V7 – vi – V – I – V loop in F major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays island pulse (root bass · tresillo 3-3-2) and the right hand push chords.
True Colors chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in F 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 | Dm | vi | D F A |
| 1 | C | V | C E G |
| 2 | F | I | F A C |
| 2 | C7 | V7 | C E G Bb |
| 3 | Dm | vi | D F A |
| 3 | C | V | C E G |
| 4 | F | I | F A C |
| 4 | C | V | C E G |
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: island pulse (root bass · tresillo 3-3-2) in the left hand and push chords in the right, over the Dm – C – F – C7 – Dm – C – F – C 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.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
Play next
More by Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly
Questions about True Colors
Does the sheet music for True Colors 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 True Colors?
The loop is Dm – C – F – C7 – Dm – C – F – C (vi – V – I – V7 – vi – V – I – V) in F major, and the song ends on Bb – C – F.
What key is True Colors in?
F major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in True Colors?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is True Colors easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of True Colors?
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.