Other arrangements of He Was A Friend Of Mine
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(A7)He
was a friend of mine.
(A7)He
was a friend of mine.
Ev ’ry time I think of (D)him,
I (F#7)just can’t keep from cry in’.
sow.
’Cause (D)he
was a (A7)friend of (D)mine.
(A7)He
died a on the road.
(A7)He
died a on the road.
He ’ry just kept on mov (D)in’
I (F#7)nev er reaped what he could sow.
And (D)he
was a (A7)friend of (D)mine.
(A7)I
stole a way and cried.
(A7)I
stole a way and cried.
’Cause I nev er had too much (D)mon ey,
I (F#7)nev er been quite sat is fied.
And (D)he
was a (A7)friend of (D)mine.
(A7)He
nev er done no wrong.
(A7)He
nev er done no wrong.
’Cause A thou sand miles too from (D)home, ey,
and (F#7)he nev er harmed sat no one.
And (D)he
was a (A7)friend of (D)mine.
(A7)He
was a friend of mine.
(A7)He
was a friend of mine.
Ev ’ry time I hear his (D)name, Lord,
I (F#7)just can’t keep from cry in’,
’cause (D)he
was a (A7)friend of (D)mine.
He Was A Friend Of Mine — Classic Piano Sheet Music
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Read "He Was A Friend Of Mine" by Willie Nelson in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of D. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 112 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 “He Was A Friend Of Mine”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "He Was A Friend Of Mine"?
- 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 D. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "He Was A Friend Of Mine" by Willie Nelson played in?
- He Was A Friend Of Mine is arranged in the key of D on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "He Was A Friend Of Mine"?
- The arrangement plays at 112 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "He Was A Friend Of Mine" 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 "He Was A Friend Of Mine"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "He Was A Friend Of Mine"?
- "He Was A Friend Of Mine" was originally performed by Willie Nelson. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "He Was A Friend Of Mine"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: A, A7, Bm, D, Em, F#7, F#m, G.
- What other songs by Willie Nelson can I play here?
- Try "ON THE ROAD AGAIN", "HARBOR LIGHTS", "MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS". 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 — "He Was A Friend Of Mine" 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 D, 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 112 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.