Heart and Soul: An Easy Version for Piano
This easy version of Heart and Soul for piano features simple chords and melody notes. It’s perfect for beginners, or anyone who wants to play a classic song without all the frills.
Introduction
Heart and Soul is a song composed by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser. It was first performed in 1938. The original copyright holder was Bohemian Rhapsody Company. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more recently, James Taylor and Norah Jones.
The song is included in the 1938 musical composition “Hoagy Carmichael’s Saturday Night Shuffle”. The original lyrics were written by Loesser and are included in the Lesser-Carmichael Songbook.
The song has been adopted as an Easy Version for Piano due to it’s simplistic, yet beautiful melody which can be enjoyed by music lovers of all ages.
The Melody
Heart and Soul is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1938. The melody was inspired by a performance of Hoagy Carmichael playing The Riverboat Shuffle. The lyrics are written in AABA form.
The A sections (there are two) describe a young man’s feelings for a girl:
I might never be
With somebody as perfect for me
As you are
I love you
I swear it’s true
And the B section is about the doubts that creep in:
I’ll never know what makes
You the angel you are
But I’m gonna love you just the same
The second A section repeats the first, with different lyrics describing the same sentiments. And the final B section has different lyrics as well, but they express the same idea: even though we may never completely understand what brings two people together, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy and appreciate it.
The Lyrics
The song was released in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser and has become a pop standard. The lyrics tell the story of two friends who have a deep connection and are able to communicate without words.
The first time we meet
We just know
That we’ll never be alone again
We may be different people
But we understand
The same old feelings just come over us again and again
Heart and soul
I fell in love with you
Heart and soul
The moment I saw you
I feel like I am home again
Heart and soul
I fell in love with you
And I feel like I am home again
The Chords
There are three chords in the song, A, D, and E. The first chord, A, is played for four beats. The second chord, D, is played for two beats. The third chord, E, is played for one beat.
The Arrangement
Heart and Soul is a 1938 song composed by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser. The song was written for the 1938 film Somebody Up There Likes Me and first performed in the film by Paul Newman. The song is a piano duet in the jazz/pop genre with a four chord progression of F-C-G7-C. The verse is written in cornfield modal harmony and the refrain moves to the IV chord, B♭.
The Ending
As the song comes to an end, the piano soloist has a few last things to say. First, a reprise of the opening melody in the right hand (plays bars 97-100). This time, it’s in the key of A major. Then, a final flourish in both hands (plays bars 101-104).
