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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 — Easy Piano Notes for Beginners
About “Down By The River”
Learn "Down By The River" on piano with easy notes — perfect for absolute beginners. Large color-coded note names show exactly which keys to press. No music reading required. 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)
- Can I play "Down By The River" without reading sheet music?
- Yes — Easy Notes mode prints the letter name (C, D, E…) directly on each note in big color-coded labels, so you can match colors to your keyboard without any traditional notation. The whole arrangement of "Down By The River" is playable in minutes, even for first-time players.
- 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.
- Can a complete beginner play "Down By The River"?
- Absolutely! The Beginner mode shows large color-coded notes with letter names (C, D, E...). Just match the colors to your keyboard — no music reading needed. "Down By The River" is simplified for beginners.
- Do I need to read music to play "Down By The River"?
- No! Our Beginner mode replaces traditional notation with color-coded letter names. Each note shows exactly which key to press. You can start playing "Down By The River" in minutes, even if you've never touched a piano before.
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