Other arrangements of Down By The River
Pick a learning view.
You take my hand, I’ll (A)take on your side, hand, by; to geth er we may get a (A)way.
to hide.
This much mad ness is too much here sor a row,
it’s you im pos si ble to (A)make it to day,
oh, (Bm7)oh yeah.
She could drag me o ver the rain bow
and send me a (D)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 (A)dead.
Be on my side, I’ll (A)be on your side, ba by; to there is no rea son for (A)you to hide.
It’s so hard for me stay in’ here all a lone
when you could be si tak in’ (A)me for a ride,
yeah, (Bm7)yeah.
yeah.
She could drag me o ver the rain bow
and send me a (D)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 (A)dead.
Down (D)by the riv (A)er,
I (D)shot my ba (A)by.
Down By The River — Classic Piano Sheet Music
4 people have learned this song
Read "Down By The River" by Neil Young in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of D. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 86 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Down By The River”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Down By The River"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature D. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- 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 86 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Down By The River" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- 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 other songs by Neil Young can I play here?
- Try "OLD MAN", "DOWN BY THE RIVER", "OUT ON THE WEEKEND". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Down By The River" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature D, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 86 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.