Super Simple Chords

Piano chords · Bossa beach

Upside Down: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes

By Diana Ross

  • G minor
  • 4/4
  • 100 BPM
  • 1980
  • Easy
Tuning the piano…
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Style

Left hand Bossa swayThe right hand sings the tuneChords 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 Upside Down without reading music. The left hand plays bossa sway (root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&)), and the right hand sings the tune.

The catchy part of Upside Down 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
C
RF3+Bb3+D4 F3+Bb3+C4 E3+G3+Bb3
LG2 F2 G2 Bb2 C3 G2
Bar 2
F → Gm7
RF3+A3+D4 C4 F3+Bb3+C4 Bb3 G3
LF2 F2 G2 G2
Bar 3
Bb → C
RF3+Bb3+D4 F3+Bb3+C4 E3+G3+Bb3 G3
LBb2 G2 Bb2 Cb2 C3 G2
Bar 4
F → Gm7
RF3+A3+D4 C4 F3+Bb3+C4 F3+Bb3+D4
LF2 F2 G2 G2

Upside Down accompaniment in letter notes

The C – F – Gm7 – Bb – C – F – Gm7 loop with bossa sway in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.

Bar 1
C
RC4+E4+G4
LC3 C3 C3 C3
Bar 2
F → Gm7
RF4+A4+C5 G4+Bb4+D5
LF2 F2 G2 G2
Bar 3
Bb → C
RBb3+D4+F4 C4+E4+G4
LBb2 Bb2 C3 C3
Bar 4
F → Gm7
RF4+A4+C5 F6 Eb6 D6 C6 Bb5 A5 G5 F5
LF2 F2 G2 G2
Bar 5
C
RC4+E4+G4
LC3 C3 C3 C3
Bar 6
F → Gm7
RF4+A4+C5 G4+Bb4+D5
LF2 F2 G2 G2
Bar 7
Bb → C
RBb3+D4+F4 C4+E4+G4
LBb2 Bb2 C3 C3
Bar 8
F → Gm7
RF4+A4+C5 G4+Bb4+D5
LF2 F2 G2 G2

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 Upside Down

What are the letter notes for the Upside Down 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 C – F – Gm7 – Bb – C – F – Gm7, so the letters repeat with the chords.

What chords are in Upside Down?

The loop is C – F – Gm7 – Bb – C – F – Gm7 (IV – VII – i7 – III – IV – VII – i7) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.

What key is Upside Down in?

G minor, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Upside Down?

Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Upside Down easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Upside Down?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.