Verdammt ich lieb dich - Sheet Music for Piano and Voice Matthias Reim

„Verdammt ich lieb dich" is one of the most iconic Schlager hits in German music history – and now the piano and vocal sheet music is available for you to play yourself. This arrangement is aimed at players with approximately three years of lessons: the wide vocal range and the persistent off-beat accompaniment pattern demand full commitment. As part of the playbackNOTEN series, it also fits seamlessly into ensemble settings.

Sheet Music „Verdammt ich lieb dich" – melancholic Schlager for piano & voice

With this song, Matthias Reim released one of the most-played German-language Schlager tracks of all time in 1990. Written by Bernd Dietrich and Matthias Reim himself, the piece tells the story of someone wandering the streets at night, unable to let go despite everything. That torn emotional state – caught between defiance and longing – is what makes the song so gripping to this day. Not a polished pop hit, but a piece that gets under your skin.

A minor gives the piece its melancholic foundation, and the piano carries that mood as an accompaniment to the vocal line from beginning to end. The vocal part spans a good two octaves, from the lower middle register up to a demanding height that requires genuine breath support. The syncopated accompaniment pattern in the left hand runs through almost the entire piece – across 47 of 81 bars – and gives the song its characteristic drive. The harmony remains consistently diatonic, with no unexpected accidentals, which eases the initial learning curve. The intermediate rating is realistic here: not because of the harmony, but because of the combination of a wide vocal range and an off-beat pattern that must sit precisely in both hands simultaneously.

• Vocal range: A3 to G5 (2 octaves)
• Main challenge: Syncopated left-hand accompaniment pattern across 47 of 81 bars
• Additional challenge: Anticipated eighth notes that land just ahead of the beat
• Additional challenge: Right-hand runs added against the left hand
• Ideal for: Song recital, festival tent, birthday celebration

Anyone who practises the left hand in isolation first will notice quickly: the accompaniment pattern – those anticipated eighth notes that consistently land just ahead of the beat – falls into place almost on its own after a few run-throughs. From there, adding the right-hand runs becomes considerably easier. The short legato slurs in the vocal line reveal how carefully the phrasing has been conceived – each small slur group receives its own breath impulse, and the result immediately sounds like the original. The upper register of the vocal part calls for support from the body, not from the throat.

A six-page browsable score preview shows you exactly what to expect before you buy – no leap of faith required. Playback versions with and without melody are also available, ideal for checking your tempo and phrasing against your own playing. A short demo audio sample is available free of charge. The sheet music is available for immediate download after purchase. 100% legal & licensed.

Editorially reviewed by the notendownload.com team