Other arrangements of Nikita
Pick a learning view.
Hey, Ni ki ta, is it cold
(C)in your lit tle cor ner of the world?
You could roll a round the globe
and nev er find a warm er soul to know.
Oh, I saw you by the wall,
ten of your tin sol diers in a row,
with eyes that looked like (D)ice on fire,
the hu man heart a cap tive in the snow.
Oh, Ni ki ta, (G)you will nev er know
an y thing a bout my home.
(C)I’ll (G)nev er know how good it feels to hold you.
Ni ki ta, I (G)need you so.
Oh, Ni ki ta, is the (C)oth er side
of an y giv en line in time
(G)count ing ten tin sol diers in a row?
(Em7)Oh (D7)no, Ni ki ta, you’ll (G)nev er know.
Do you ev er dream of me?
(C)Do you ev er see let ters I write?
When you look up through the wire,
Ni ki ta, do you count the stars at night?
Oh, And if there comes a time
guns and gates no long er hold you in,
and if you’re free to (D)make a choice,
just look to wards the west and find a friend.
Oh, Ni ki ta, (G)you will nev er know
an y thing a bout my home.
(C)I’ll (G)nev er know how good it feels to hold you.
Ni ki ta, I (G)need you so.
Oh, Ni ki ta, is the (C)oth er side
of an y giv en line in time
(G)count ing ten tin sol diers in a row?
(Em7)Oh (D7)no, Ni ki ta, you’ll (G)nev er know.
Oh, Ni ki ta, you will nev (Am7)Count ing ten tin sol diers in a (G)row.
(Am7)Count ing ten tin sol diers in a (G)row.
(Am7)Count ing ten tin sol diers in a (G)row.
Nikita — Classic Piano Sheet Music
20 people have learned this song
Read "Nikita" by Elton John 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 87 BPM.
This arrangement is a fantastic workout for navigating chromatic chord movement — with 21 chords including Ab, C#dim, and Fm sitting alongside your home key of G, your hands will constantly be shifting position, so stay relaxed and keep your wrists loose.
Your left hand follows an octave bass pattern at a gentle 87 BPM, which gives you breathing room but also means every note is exposed, so aim for even, controlled touch.
I'd suggest learning hands separately first, then focus on drilling the transitions around those chromatic passing chords — the move into Abmaj7 and the C#dim especially tend to trip people up if you haven't mapped the fingering in advance.
Use the slow-tempo mode and loop those four-bar phrases until the shapes feel automatic.
Pedal generously but change cleanly on each new bass note to avoid muddiness.
This is the piece that'll make you genuinely comfortable playing outside your home key without panicking.
Try other practice modes:
About “Nikita”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Nikita"?
- 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 "Nikita" by Elton John played in?
- Nikita 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 "Nikita"?
- The arrangement plays at 87 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Nikita" 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 "Nikita"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Nikita"?
- "Nikita" was originally performed by Elton John. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Nikita"?
- This arrangement uses 21 chords: Ab, Abmaj7, Am, Am7, Bb, Bm, Bm7, C, +13 more.
- What other songs by Elton John can I play here?
- Try "SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT", "CROCODILE ROCK", "BURN DOWN THE MISSION". 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 — "Nikita" 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 87 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.