Other arrangements of It's Only A Paper Moon
Pick a learning view.
Say, it’s (G#dim)on ly a (Am7)pa per moon,
Sail ing o ver a (G)card (D7)board (G)sea,
But it (G7)would n’t be (C)make be (Eb7)lieve, If (D7)you be lieved in me.
Yes, it’s (G#dim)on ly a (Am7)can vas sky,
Hang ing o ver a (G)mus (D7)lin (G)tree,
But it (G7)would n’t be (C)make be (Eb7)lieve, If (D7)you be lieved in me.
(G7)With (C)out
(C#dim)your (G)love
it’s a (D7)honk ky tonk pa (G6)rade,
With (C)out
(C#dim)your (G)love,
it’s a (E7)mel o dy played in a (D)pen ny ar cade.
It’s a (G#dim)Bar num and (Am7)Bai ley world
Just as phon y as (G)it (D7)can (G)be,
But it (G7)would n’t be (C)make be (Eb7)lieve if (D7)you be lieved in me.
It's Only A Paper Moon — Classic Piano Sheet Music
2 people have learned this song
Read "It's Only A Paper Moon" by E.Y. Harburg 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 100 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “It's Only A Paper Moon”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "It's Only A Paper Moon"?
- 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 "It's Only A Paper Moon" by E.Y. Harburg played in?
- It's Only A Paper Moon 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 "It's Only A Paper Moon"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "It's Only A Paper Moon" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "It's Only A Paper Moon"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "It's Only A Paper Moon"?
- "It's Only A Paper Moon" was originally performed by E.Y. Harburg. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by E.Y. Harburg can I play here?
- Try "Look To The Rainbow", "Old Devil Moon". 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 — "It's Only A Paper Moon" 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 100 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.


