Lyrics
Gon na lay down my sword and shield
down by the riv er side,
down by the riv er side,
down by the riv er side.
Gon na lay down my sword and shield
down by the riv er side and (F7)stud y
war no (Bb)more.
Gon na join hands with ev ’ry one
down by the riv er side,
down by the riv er side,
down by the riv er side.
Gon na join hands with ev ’ry one
down by the riv er side and (F7)stud y
war no (Bb)more.
Gon na I ain’t gon na (Eb)stud y war no more, I ain’t gon na (Bb)stud y war no more,
(F7)stud y
(Cm7)war (F7)no (Bb)more.
I ain’t gon na (Eb)stud y war no more, I ain’t gon na (Bb)stud y (F)war no more,
(F7)stud y
war no (Bb)more.
Down By The Riverside by African-American Spiritual
Easy piano arrangement in the key of Eb at 144 BPM. Difficulty: easy. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.
About “Down By The Riverside”
- What key is "Down By The Riverside" in?
- "Down By The Riverside" by African-American Spiritual is in the key of Eb with a tempo of 144 BPM. Difficulty: easy.
- Is "Down By The Riverside" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this arrangement is rated easy, meaning it uses simple chord patterns and a manageable tempo. Most beginners can play through it in 1-3 practice sessions using our color-coded notes.
- Can I play "Down By The Riverside" without reading sheet music?
- Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
- How long does it take to learn "Down By The Riverside" on piano?
- 1–3 short practice sessions for the basics; 2–3 weeks to perform confidently with both hands.
- What other songs by African-American Spiritual can I play here?
- Try "All My Trials", "Deep River", "Go, Tell It On The Mountain". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
More songs you might like
- Joshua (Fit The Battle Of Jericho)African-American Spiritual
- We Are Climbing Jacob's LadderAfrican-American Spiritual
- All My TrialsAfrican-American Spiritual
- Mary Had A BabyAfrican-American Spiritual
- Go, Tell It On The MountainAfrican-American Spiritual
- He's Got The Whole World In His HandsAfrican-American Spiritual
- Joshua (Fit The Battle Of Jericho)African-American Spiritual
- Let Us Break Bread TogetherAfrican-American Spiritual
- Rock A My SoulAfrican-American Spiritual
- Lord, I Want To Be A ChristianAfrican-American Spiritual
- Go, Tell It On The MountainAfrican-American Spiritual
- Were You There?African-American Spiritual