Piano chords · Rock drive
When We Were Young: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Adele
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 72 BPM
- 2015
- Medium
When We Were Young written out as piano music: the vi – iii – IV – iii – ii – ii7 – I loop in Eb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays power fifths (lh power fifths), and the right hand sings the tune.
When We Were Young chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Eb 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 | Cm | vi | C Eb G |
| 1 | Gm | iii | G Bb D |
| 2 | Ab | IV | Ab C Eb |
| 2 | Gm | iii | G Bb D |
| 3 | Fm | ii | F Ab C |
| 3 | Fm7 | ii7 | F Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Eb | I | Eb G Bb |
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: power fifths (lh power fifths) in the left hand, with the right hand free for the melody, over the Cm – Gm – Ab – Gm – Fm – Fm7 – Eb 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 When We Were Young
Does the sheet music for When We Were Young 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 When We Were Young?
The loop is Cm – Gm – Ab – Gm – Fm – Fm7 – Eb (vi – iii – IV – iii – ii – ii7 – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Ab – Bb – Eb.
What key is When We Were Young in?
Eb major, at about 72 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in When We Were Young?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is When We Were Young easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of When We Were Young?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the opening 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.