The Weight is the classic rock anthem by Canadian band The Band. In this The Weight piano tutorial you will learn the iconic piano accompaniment and some great embellishments too! Easy to play and great for singalongs!
Lyrics and Chords printable for The Weight
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The Weight was written and recorded by the Canadian band The Band. It was released as a single in 1968 on their debut album Music from Big Pink and features lyrics written by Robbie Robertson. This song is a classic singalong hit and is a great addition to any set.
In this tutorial, we follow the usual four step protocol for learning to sing and play songs.
Step #1: Learn the chords
Step #2: Learn the groove
Step #3: Learn the chorus fills
Step #4: Put it all together.
Let’s go!
Lyrics and Chords to The Weight
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Step #2: Learn the Groove of The Weight
I have taken the liberty of notating the chord inversions and the bass line from The Weight. Notice that we are using simple voice leading for our chord inversions which helps us find the chords more easily. I have written it up the octave from where it should be played!
The Verse:
The Chorus:
Do you recognize the rhythm?
It's our old friend The Tresillo rhythm.
Step #3: Learn the piano fills of The Weight
If you want to play the chorus with the iconic fills, you are going to switch up your strategy a bit. Your LH will play the root and 5th of each chord and your RH will fill using the notes of the A pentatonic scale.
The Chorus:
Step #4: Put it all together
Remember that you can (and should!) customize this to fit your skill level. If the chord inversions are too challenging for you, then play them all root position. If you want to level it up, try altering the groove or adding some solo fills.
Try to avoid getting stuck in the little details! The goal is for you to learn to sing and play more songs - not drown in a pool of perfectionism. Have fun - it’s only music!
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