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We Are Family: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 1979
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
We Are Family written out as piano music: the I7 – bVII7 – IV7 – bVII7 loop in Bb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays dawdling footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4) and the right hand run-up chords.
We Are Family chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Bb 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 | Bb7 | I7 | Bb D F Ab |
| 2 | Ab7 | bVII7 | Ab C Eb Gb |
| 3 | Eb7 | IV7 | Eb G Bb Db |
| 4 | Ab7 | bVII7 | Ab C Eb Gb |
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: dawdling footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4) in the left hand and run-up chords in the right, over the Bb7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Ab7 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.
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Questions about We Are Family
Does the sheet music for We Are Family 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 We Are Family?
The loop is Bb7 – Ab7 – Eb7 – Ab7 (I7 – bVII7 – IV7 – bVII7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is We Are Family in?
Bb major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in We Are Family?
Dawdling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is We Are Family 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.
Can I hear the real melody of We Are Family?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure 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.