Question about timing (sheet music example)

[towelie]

I've played piano since I was a kid, but am entirely self-taught and have recently been second-guessing myself about something.

I'm learning to play the song Dragon by Tori Amos. Here is a one page extract of the sheet music:

https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0080319

The part that is causing me to second guess myself is the last two bars on the first page. The first four notes of the penultimate bar have lines that all match up and then after that, the right hand lines come in slightly before the left hand ones. Does this mean I'm supposed to play the right hand notes just in front of the left hand ones or not? When I listen to the record it sounds like it is all played together.

This is causing me a great deal of confusion and any help would be appreciated.

[georgey]

Hi.  I think I may understand what you are asking.  I may not be the best person to explain. There are note heads,  stems and flags in music notation.  You will see that all the note heads line up in these last 2 measures.  The stems (or what you call lines) attach themselves to the note heads.  If the stems go up from the note head (like the 1st 4 notes in the penultimate measure), they attach to the right side of the note head.  If the stems go down from the note head (like they do in the last 12 notes of the right hand part), then they attach to the left side of the note heads.  Note how all the note heads line up in these last 2 measures.  The left hand and right hand notes should be played together in these last 2 measures.  Do not worry about stems lining up.  I hope this helps.

Here is link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_(music)

Not sure why this link does not work.  Click on it then click on "Did you mean Stem_(music)"

[towelie]

^^ Thanks so much for your reply. I knew I was over-thinking it.