Other arrangements of Perfectly Good Guitar
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He (Em)threw one down from the (G)top of the stairs, his (Am)beau ti ful n’t wom en were (C)stand in’ ev ’ry (D)where, they (Em)all got wet when he (G)smashed burst that a thing, but (Am)off in the dark you could (D)hear some bod y (G)sing: Oh, it (Am)breaks my heart to (Em)see those stars (G)smash in’ a (C)per fect ly (D)good gui (Em)tar.
I (Am)don’t know who they (Em)think they (D)are (G)smash ing a (C)per fect ly (D)good
gui tar.
It (Em)start ed back from in (G)nine teen six ty his (Am)ma ma would gui buy him that (C)new red Har mo (D)ny.
He (Em)set tled for when a (G)sun ly with a crack, but (Am)he’s still the try in’ to (D)break his ma ma’s (G)back.
Oh, it (Am)breaks my heart to (Em)see those stars
(G)smash in’ a (C)per fect ly (D)good gui (Em)tar.
I (Am)don’t know who they (Em)think they (D)are
(G)smash ing a (C)per fect ly (D)good
gui tar.
It
While he loved that gui tar just (G)like a girl friend, but (Am)ev ’ry good thing (C)comes to an (D)end.
Now (Em)he just sits in his (G)room all day,
(Am)whis tl in’ ev ’ry note he ev er (G)played.
There
Late at night, the (G)end of the road, he (Am)wish es he still had that (C)old gui tar to (D)hold.
He’d (Em)rock it like a (G)ba by in his arms,
(Am)nev er let it come to an y (G)harm.
Oh, it (Am)breaks my heart to (Em)see those stars
(G)smash in’ a (C)per fect ly (D)good gui (Em)tar.
I (Am)don’t know who they (Em)think they (D)are
(G)smash ing a (C)per fect ly (D)good,
(Em)good
gui tar.
Perfectly Good Guitar — Classic Piano Sheet Music
3 people have learned this song
Read "Perfectly Good Guitar" by John Hiatt 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: 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 “Perfectly Good Guitar”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
- 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 "Perfectly Good Guitar" by John Hiatt played in?
- Perfectly Good Guitar 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 "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Perfectly Good Guitar" 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 "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
- "Perfectly Good Guitar" was originally performed by John Hiatt. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
- This arrangement uses 6 chords: Am, C, D, Dsus4, Em, G.
- What other songs by John Hiatt can I play here?
- Try "Have A Little Faith In Me". 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 — "Perfectly Good Guitar" 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.
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