Other arrangements of Pretender
Pick a learning view.
Iβm gon na (G)rent my self came a house
in the shade of the (C)free way.
Gon na (G)pack my lunch in the morn ing
and go to (D)work erβs er each day.
en (C)ing?
And when the (G)eve ning rolls time a round,
Iβll go on (G)home the end, and lay my bod y (C)down.
And when the (G)morn ing light comes stream ing (D)in, Iβll get up and do it a (C)gain.
(Am7)A (G)men.
Say it a gain.
(G)A (Am7)men.
I want to (G)know what be came of the es we wait ed for (C)love to
Were they (G)on ly the ful the dreams ors
of some each (D)great erβs paint a wak ber (C)dreams.
Iβve been a (G)ware of the time go ing
They say make (G)in the end, itβs the wink of an (C)eye.
And when the (G)morn ing light comes stream ing (D)in, youβll get up and do it a (C)gain.
(Am7)A (G)men.
Say it a gain.
(G)A
(Am7)men.
I want to (G)men.
Caught be tween the (D)long ing for love and the (C)strug gle for the le gal ten der,
where the (C)si rens sing and the church bells ring and the (Em)junk man pounds his fend er,
where the (C)vet er ans
dream of the (G)fight,
fast a sleep at the traf fic light,
and the (A9)chil dren sol emn ly (A9)wait for the ice cream (D)ven dor,
(D)out in to the (C)cool of the eve ning
strolls the pre tend er.
He knows that (C)all his hopes and dreams
be gin and (G)end there.
Ah, the laugh Ah, of the lov ers as they through the night,
leav ing noth ing leav ing noth ing but to off and (Em)fight,
and tear at the (G)world with all their might
while the ships
bear ing their dreams sail out of sight.
Iβm gon na
Get it up a gain.
Iβm gon na be a (D)hap py id i ot and (D)strug gle for the le gal ten der,
where the (C)ads take aim and lay their claim to the (Em)heart and the soul of the spend er, and be lieve in what ev er may (G)lie
in those things
that mon ey can buy.
Thought true (A9)love
(A9)could have been a con tend er.
Are you (C)there?
Say a (D)prayer for the pre tend er
who start ed (C)out so young and strong on ly to sur ren der.
Say a prayer
for the pre tend er.
Are you there
for the pre tend er?
Say a prayer
for the pre tend er.
Are you there
for the pre tend er?
Pretender β Classic Piano Sheet Music
5 people have learned this song
Read "Pretender" by Jackson Browne in classic piano notation β 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 βPretenderβ
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Pretender"?
- Yes β 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 "Pretender" by Jackson Browne played in?
- Pretender 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 "Pretender"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Pretender" 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 "Pretender"?
- Yes β registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Pretender"?
- "Pretender" was originally performed by Jackson Browne. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Pretender"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: A9, Am7, B7, C, D, D#dim7, Em, G.
- What other songs by Jackson Browne can I play here?
- Try "FOUNTAIN OF SORROW", "DOCTOR, MY EYES". 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 β "Pretender" 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 β 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 β 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 β 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 β 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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