Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Old-time stride

Unchain My Heart: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Ray Charles

  • A minor
  • 4/4
  • 140 BPM
  • 1960
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Oom-pahRight hand Gospel-clap chordsChords from the chord symbols in the score

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 Unchain My Heart without reading music. The left hand plays oom-pah (bass + chords) and the right hand gospel-clap chords.

The main tune of Unchain My Heart 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.

Bar 1
Am
RF#4+C5+E5 D5 A4 A4 C5 D#5
LA2+C4
Bar 2
F7
REb4+G4+D5 Eb5 A4 A4
LF2 C3 A3
Bar 3
E7 → Am
RG#3+D4+G4 E4 G4 A4 C4+E4+F#4+A4
LE2+B2 A2
Bar 4
Am
RC5 D5 C5 A4 G4
LC3 D3 C3 A2 G2

Unchain My Heart accompaniment in letter notes

The Am – F7 – E7 – Am – Am loop with oom-pah in the left hand and gospel-clap chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
Am
RC4+G4+A4 C4+G4+A4 D4+G4+A4 C#4+G4+A4
LA2 C3+E3 C3+E3
Bar 2
F7
RA4+Eb5+F5 A4+Eb5+F5 Bb4+Eb5+F5 A4+Eb5+F5
LF2 A2+C3 A2+C3
Bar 3
E7 → Am
RG#4+D5+E5 G#4+D5+E5 A4+D5+E5 C#4+G4+A4
LE2 G#2+B2 G#2+B2
Bar 4
Am
RC4+G4+A4 A6 E6 C6 A5 G#5 G5 F#5 F5
LA2 C3+E3 C3+E3
Bar 5
Am
RC4+G4+A4 C4+G4+A4 D4+G4+A4 C#4+G4+A4
LA2 C3+E3 C3+E3
Bar 6
F7
RA4+Eb5+F5 A4+Eb5+F5 Bb4+Eb5+F5 A4+Eb5+F5
LF2 A2+C3 A2+C3
Bar 7
E7 → Am
RG#4+D5+E5 G#4+D5+E5 A4+D5+E5 C#4+G4+A4
LE2 G#2+B2 G#2+B2
Bar 8
Am
RC4+G4+A4 C4+G4+A4 D4+G4+A4 C#4+G4+A4
LA2 C3+E3 C3+E3

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 Unchain My Heart

What are the letter notes for the Unchain My Heart 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 Am – F7 – E7 – Am – Am, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Unchain My Heart?

The loop is Am – F7 – E7 – Am – Am (i – VI7 – V7 – i – VI7) in A minor, and the song ends on F – G – Am.

What key is Unchain My Heart in?

A minor, at about 140 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Unchain My Heart?

Oom-pah: bass + chords, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Unchain My Heart easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Unchain My Heart?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.