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Are you dreaming of playing "Let It Be" by The Beatles yourself? This song isn't just an absolute milestone in music history; thanks to its clear structure, it's also perfect for beginners – whether you're hitting the keys or strumming the strings. In this post, we’re providing you with the let it be sheet music as handy PDF downloads, along with detailed video tutorials for piano and guitar. Plus, you'll discover some fascinating musical background on Paul McCartney’s masterpiece.
Table of contents
Basically: "Let It Be" is written in the very accessible key of C major and mostly relies on four simple chords: C major, G major, A minor, and F major.
Important: A characteristic feature of the song is the musical "interrupted cadence", where a chord progression surprisingly flows into a relative minor (A minor) instead of returning to the tonic.
Tip: Use our video tutorials to practise your hands separately on the piano at first, and take your time on the guitar, especially with the F major chord at the beginning.
If you're just starting out, we recommend taking a quick look at the basics of learning piano or our guide to learning guitar in 10 steps beforehand, so you’re perfectly prepared.
Before you get started, it’s worth taking a look at the meaning behind this legendary piece. Released in 1970, "Let It Be" was the last official single by The Beatles before the band split up. The song was written by Paul McCartney, who also played the piano on the original recording.
The inspiration for the song came during a difficult time: while the band was slowly falling apart from the inside, McCartney had a dream about his mother, Mary, who had passed away when he was young. In this dream, she offered him comfort, saying the words, "It will be alright, just let it be." The song perfectly captures this deeply emotional, gospel-like message of letting go through its harmonies.
So you can get started right away, we’ve put together the let it be sheet music and chords for you as handy PDF downloads. Thanks to the simple harmonies on both instruments, the accompaniment is ideal for beginners.
By now, "Let It Be" is one of the most famous pop ballads in the world. In our video tutorials, you’ll learn to play the classic song in detail on your favourite instrument.
The piano tutorial:
The guitar tutorial:
Whether you're on the guitar or piano – always break the song down into bite-sized pieces when practising. You’ll learn faster this way and avoid frustration.
First, take a look at the chords. You’ll primarily be moving between C, G, Am, and F. The musically unique feature of the let it be sheet music here is the clever chord progression: you'd normally expect the dominant G major to resolve its tension into C major. Instead, the verse uses an interrupted cadence, guiding the chord progression into the relative minor of A minor. This gives the song its unmistakable melancholy.
As demonstrated in the video from 60 BPM, your first step on the piano should be learning to play the right-hand chords while the left hand rests. Here, the left hand mainly provides the rhythmic foundation. Then, swap roles. Only when both hands can glide flawlessly over the keys in isolation should you bring them together at a very slow tempo. Want to further develop your piano technique and learn to play similar pop ballads fluently? Then be sure to check out our advanced course:
Looking at the chord progression for the guitar, you’ll notice that alongside the very easy open chords, F major also makes an appearance. For many guitarists, F major is the classic entry point into the world of barre chords. Because this song is closely tied to this important technique on our platform, we’ve dedicated a specific, structured lesson to the topic. With clever finger exercises and practical tips, we’ll show you how to distribute the pressure correctly without tensing up.
Want to learn more than just one song? Hundreds of other songs, targeted exercises, and lessons for piano and guitar are waiting for you in the music2me premium area. It’s the ideal way to steadily expand your repertoire.
Whether you want to strum your first guitar chord or play your favourite piano piece fluently – with music2me, you’ll learn your instrument at your own pace. Our proven system truly helps you progress, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player.
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Playing "Let It Be" is about more than just pressing keys or strings – it’s immersing yourself in a piece of music history. With the right sheet music and the simple structure in C major, you’ll quickly celebrate your first successes. Focus on a steady tempo, feel the rhythm, and let the song's message guide you. And if you get stuck while practising – let it be – take a short break and simply try again afterwards!
No, thanks to its key of C major and the use of fundamental chords, "Let It Be" is very beginner-friendly on both the guitar and the piano. If you've mastered the basic chords, you can learn the piece fairly quickly.
For the main part of the song, you basically only need four chords: C major, G major, A minor, and F major.
The song is in C major. On the piano, you'll be playing almost exclusively on the white keys, and on the guitar, you can use open chords almost the entire time.
The original was composed and played on the piano by Paul McCartney himself. He also sang the lead vocals for The Beatles.
Absolutely! That’s exactly what we created the video tutorials for. Thanks to the visual representation of the fretboard and keys combined with the chord symbols, you can also learn the piece by ear and by sight, without having to fluently read sheet music.
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