Piano chords · Lullaby boat
Yesterday: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon & others
- E major
- 6/8
- 78 BPM
- 2017
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Yesterday written out as piano music: the IV – I – IV – I – IV loop in E major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays swelling 6/8 (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8)) and the right hand rowing-boat chords.
Yesterday chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in E 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 | A | IV | A C# E |
| 2 | E | I | E G# B |
| 3 | A | IV | A C# E |
| 4 | E | I | E G# B |
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: swelling 6/8 (open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8)) in the left hand and rowing-boat chords in the right, over the A – E – E – A – E 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.
Questions about Yesterday
Does the sheet music for Yesterday 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 Yesterday?
The loop is A – E – E – A – E (IV – I – IV – I – IV) in E major, and the song ends on A – B – E.
What key is Yesterday in?
E major, at about 78 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Yesterday?
Swelling 6/8: open arpeggio 1-5-8-10-8-5 (6/8), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Yesterday easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 5 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Yesterday?
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.