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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 — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial
About “Down By The River”
Watch "Down By The River" by Neil Young in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. 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 learn "Down By The River" with falling notes like Synthesia?
- Yes — Falling Notes mode shows colored note shapes dropping onto a virtual keyboard, the same visual style as Synthesia or piano-tile games. Each note's column matches the piano key you press. Works for "Down By The River" with hands-separate practice in D at 90 BPM.
- 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 I practice left and right hand separately for "Down By The River"?
- Yes! Our Top Down mode lets you isolate the left hand (bass clef), right hand (treble clef), or play both together. This makes it easy to master "Down By The River" one hand at a time before combining them.
- What is falling notes style for "Down By The River"?
- Falling notes (also known as Synthesia or piano waterfall) shows color-coded rectangles falling from the top of the screen onto a virtual keyboard. Each note's position matches the piano key you need to press. "Down By The River" is in the key of D at 90 BPM.
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