(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 — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial
Watch "He Was A Friend Of Mine" by Willie Nelson in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. Key of D, 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”
- 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.
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