Other arrangements of American Pie
Pick a learning view.
A (G)long, (D)long (Em7)time a go (Am)I can still re (C)mem ber how that (Em)mu sic used to make me (D)smile.
And (G)I knew if (D)I had (Em7)my chance that (Am)I could make those (C)peo ple dance and (Em)may be they’d be (C)hap py for a (D)while.
But Feb ru ar y (Am)made me shiv er (Em)with ev ’ry pa per (Am)I’d de liv er.
(C)Bad news (G)on the (Am)door step, I (C)could n’t take one (D)more step.
I (G)can’t re mem ber if I (Em)cried when I (Am7)read a bout his (D)wid owed bride.
(G)Some thing (D)touched me (Em)deep in side the (C)day the (D7)mu sic (C)died.
So (G)bye (C)bye Miss A (G)mer i can (D)Pie drove my (G)Chev y to the (C)lev ee but the (G)lev ee was dry.
Them (G)good ole boys were drink in’ (G)whis key and (D)rye, sing in’ (Em)this ’ll be the day that I (A7)die.
(Em)This ’ll be the day that I (D7)die.
Did you write the (Am)book of love and do you have faith in (Am)God a bove?
If the Bi ble tells you so.
Now do (G)you be (D)lieve in (Em)rock and roll?
Can (Am7)mu sic save your (C)mor tal soul and can you teach me (A7)how to dance
(D)real slow?
Well, I (Em)know that you’re in (D)love with him ’cause I saw you danc in’ (D)in the gym.
You (C)both kicked (G)off your (A)shoes.
Man, I (C)dig those rhy thm and (D7)blues.
I was a (G)lone ly (D)teen age (Em)bronc in’ buck with a (Am)pink car na tion and a (C)pick up truck.
But (G)I knew (D)I was out of luck the day
the mu
sic died.
I start ed (D7)sing ing (G)bye (C)bye Miss A (G)mer i can (D)Pie drove my (G)Chev y to the (C)lev ee but the (G)lev ee was dry.
Them (G)good ole boys were drink in’ (G)whis key and (D)rye, sing in’ (Em)this ’ll be the day that I (A7)die.
(Em)This ’ll be the day that I (D7)die.
Did you write the (Am)book of love and do you have faith in (Am)God a bove?
If the Bi ble tells you so.
Now do (G)you be (D)lieve in (Em)rock and roll?
Can (Am7)mu sic save your (C)mor tal soul and can you teach me (A7)how to dance
(D)real slow?
Well, I (Em)know that you’re in (D)love with him ’cause I saw you danc in’ (D)in the gym.
You (C)both kicked (G)off your (A)shoes.
Man, I (C)dig those rhy thm and (D7)blues.
I was a (G)lone ly (D)teen age (Em)bronc in’ buck with a (Am)pink car na tion and a (C)pick up truck.
But (G)I knew (D)I was out of luck the day
the mu
sic died.
I start ed (D7)sing ing
He was (D7)sing in’ (G)bye (C)bye Miss A (G)mer i can (D)Pie drove my (G)Chev y to the (C)lev ee but the (G)lev ee was (D)dry.
Them (G)good ole boys were drink in’ (G)whis key and (D)rye, sing in’ (Em)this ’ll be the day that I (A7)die.
(Em)This ’ll be the day that I (D7)die.
I met a (D)girl who (Em7)sang the blues and (Am)I asked her for some (C)hap py news, but (Em)she just smiled and (D)turned a way.
(G)I went (D)down to the (Em)sa cred store where I (Am)heard the (G)mu sic (C)years be fore, but the (Em)man there said the (C)mu sic would n’t (D)play.
And (Em)in the streets the (Am)chil dren screamed, the (Em)lov ers cried and the (Am)po ets dreamed.
But (C)not a (G)word was (Am)spo ken, the (C)church bells all were (D)bro ken.
And the (G)three men (D)I ad (Em)mire (G)most, the (C)Fa ther, Son and the (D7)Ho ly Ghost, they (G)caught the (D)last train (Em)for the coast the (C)day the (Am7)mu (D7)sic (G)died.
And they were (D7)sing in’ (C)this ’ll be the day that I die.
American Pie — Classic Piano Sheet Music
34 people have learned this song
Read "American Pie" by Don McLean in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of G. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About “American Pie”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "American Pie"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature G. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "American Pie" by Don McLean played in?
- American Pie is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "American Pie"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "American Pie" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "American Pie"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "American Pie"?
- "American Pie" was originally performed by Don McLean. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "American Pie"?
- This arrangement uses 10 chords: A, A7, Am, Am7, C, D, D7, Em, +2 more.
- What other songs by Don McLean can I play here?
- Try "CROSSROADS", "EMPTY CHAIRS", "CASTLES IN THE AIR". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "American Pie" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature G, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 120 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.