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Play Head Above Water on your own piano
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Head Above Water — Classic Piano Sheet Music
About “Head Above Water”
Read "Head Above Water" by Avril Lavigne in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of F. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 65 BPM.
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Lyrics
I’ve got ta (Dm7)keep the calm be (Bbsus2)fore the (F5)storm.
I (Dm7)don’t want less, I (Bbsus2)don’t want (F5)more.
Must (Dm7)bar the win dows (Bbsus2)and the (F5)doors
to (Dm7)keep me safe, to (Bbsus2)keep me (F5)warm.
Yeah, my (Dm7)life is what I’m (Bbsus2)fight ing (F)for.
’cause Can’t (Dm7)part the sea, can’t (Bbsus2)reach the (F)shore.
And my (Dm7)voice be comes the (Bbsus2)driv ing (F)force.
I won’t (Dm7)let this pull me (Bbsus2)o ver (F)board.
God, keep my (Dm)head a bove wa ter, don’t let me (F)drown; it gets hard er.
I’ll meet You (Dm)there at the al tar as I fall down to my knees.
Don’t let me (Dm)drown, drown, (Bbsus2)drown.
Don’t let me, (F)don’t let me, don’t let me (C)drown.
So, (Dm7)pull me up from (Bbsus2)down be (F)low,
’cause I’m (Dm7)un der neath the (Bbsus2)un der (F)tow.
And Come (Dm7)dry me off and (Bbsus2)hold me (F)close.
I I (Dm7)need You now, I (Bbsus2)need You (F)most.
God, keep my (Dm)head a bove wa ter, don’t let me (F)drown; it gets hard er.
I’ll meet You (Dm)there at the al tar as I fall down to my knees.
Don’t let me (Dm)drown, drown, (Bbsus2)drown.
Don’t let me, (F)don’t let me, don’t let me (C)drown.
So, (Dm)drown, drown, drown.
Don’t let me, (F)don’t let me, don’t let me drown.
Don’t let me (Dm)drown, drown, drown.
Don’t let me, (F)don’t let me, don’t let me drown.
And (Bb)I
(C)can’t
(Dm)see
in the (Fsus)storm y (F)weath er.
(Bb)I
(C)can’t
(F)seem to keep it (Fsus)all to (F)geth er.
And (Bb)I
can’t (C)swim
the o cean like (Fsus)this for (F)ev er.
And (Bb)I can’t (C)breathe.
God, keep my (Dm)head a bove wa ter; I lose my (C)breath at the bot tom.
Come res cue (Dm)me; I’ll be wait ing.
I’m too young to fall a sleep.
So, God, keep my (Dm)head a bove wa ter, don’t let me (F)drown; it gets hard er.
I’ll meet You (Dm)there at the al tar as I fall down to my knees.
Don’t let me (F)drown.
Don’t let me (Dm)drown.
Don’t let me (F)drown.
And keep my head a bove wa ter, a bove wa ter.
Practice tip
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Questions about this song (13)
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Head Above Water"?
- 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 F. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Head Above Water" by Avril Lavigne played in?
- Head Above Water is arranged in the key of F on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Head Above Water"?
- The arrangement plays at 65 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Head Above Water" 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 "Head Above Water"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Head Above Water"?
- "Head Above Water" was originally performed by Avril Lavigne. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Head Above Water"?
- This arrangement uses 9 chords: Bb, Bbsus2, C, Csus4, Dm, Dm7, F, Fpow, +1 more.
- What other songs by Avril Lavigne can I play here?
- Try "MOBILE", "TOMORROW", "EVERYBODY HURTS". 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 — "Head Above Water" 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 F, 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 65 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.
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