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Play Down By The River on your own piano
Plug in your piano by USB or Bluetooth. The song waits for you until you hit the right notes. Slow it down, loop any bars, play one hand at a time.
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Down By The River — Visual Piano Sheet Music
About “Down By The River”
"Down By The River" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of D, 90 BPM.
16 people have learned this song
Lyrics
Be on my side, I’ll (A)be on your side, ba by; there is no rea son for (A)you to hide.
It’s so hard for me stay ing here all a lone
when you could be tak ing me for a ride,
yeah, (Bm)yeah.
She could drag me o ver the rain bow
and send me a way.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
I (D)shot my ba (A)by.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
(Em7)dead,
ooh,
shot her dead.
You take my hand, I’ll (A)take your hand,
to geth er we may get a (A)way.
This much mad ness is too much sor row,
it’s im pos si ble to (A)make it to day,
(Cmaj7)yeah,
oh, (Bm)oh, yeah.
She could drag me o ver the rain bow
and send me a way.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
I (D)shot my ba (A)by.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
(Em)dead,
dead, ooh,
(Em7)ooh, shot her dead,
shot her dead.
riv (A)er.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
I (D)shot my ba (A)by.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
I (D)shot my ba (A)by.
Practice tip
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Questions about this song (10)
- Why does "Down By The River" show as colored bars instead of notation?
- Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "Down By The River".
- What key is "Down By The River" by Neil Young played in?
- Down By The River is arranged in the key of D on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Down By The River"?
- The arrangement plays at 90 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Down By The River" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "Down By The River"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Down By The River"?
- "Down By The River" was originally performed by Neil Young. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Down By The River"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: A, Bm, C, Cmaj7, D, Em, Em7, G.
- What other songs by Neil Young can I play here?
- Try "OLD MAN", "OUT ON THE WEEKEND", "DON'T LET IT BRING YOU DOWN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this real sheet music for "Down By The River"?
- It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "Down By The River".
- Can I see all the notes in "Down By The River"?
- Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of D at 90 BPM.
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