Other arrangements of Nightswimming
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Night swim (C5)ming
de serves a qui et night.
The (G)pho to graph on the dash board,
(G)tak en years a go,
(C)turned a round back wards so the (Dsus)wind shield shows.
(G)Ev er y street light knew you.
re veals the pic (G)ture in re verse.
(C)Still, it’s so much clear er.
(G)I for got my shirt at the wa (G)ter’s edge.
The (Csus2)moon is low to night.
Night swim (Csus2)ming
de serves a qui et night.
I’m (C)not sure all these peo ple un der stand.
pin ing for the It’s (D)not like years a go, what if there were the (Csus2)fear of get (A)ting caught,
in or bit of (Dsus)reck less ness and wa ter.
They can not (D)see me na (G)ked.
These (Csus2)things, they (A)go a way,
re (Dsus)placed by ev ’ry day.
Night swim (Csus2)ming,
re mem ber ing that night.
Sep (C)tem ber’s com ing soon.
un der I’m pin ing for the It’s (D)not like years a And what if there were two (Csus2)fear of side (A)ting by
in or bit a (Dsus)round the fair est sun?
ter.
They That tight (D)for ev er (G)drum
could (Csus2)not de (A)scribe night swim
re (Dsus)placed by ev ’ry day.
(C)ming.
The (G)pho to graph re flects
(D)ev ’ry street light, a re mind er.
Night swim (C)ming
de (Dsus)serves a qui (D)et night,
de (Csus2)serves a qui (A)et night.
(G)pho to graph re flects
(D)ev ’ry street light, a re mind er.
Night swim (C)ming
de (Dsus)serves a qui (D)et night,
de (Csus2)serves a qui (A)et night.
Nightswimming — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial
19 people have learned this song
Watch "Nightswimming" by R.E.M. 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 G, 100 BPM.
This arrangement is a wonderful exercise in keeping your left hand steady while your right hand moves through some beautifully open chord voicings.
Your left hand plays an octave bass pattern throughout, so start by drilling that alone until it feels almost automatic — it needs to be your anchor, not something you're thinking about.
At 100 BPM the tempo is gentle, but watch the transitions between the sus chords: moving from Dsus4 to D and Csus2 to C requires small, precise finger adjustments, and rushing those changes is the most common stumble I see.
Practice the C–Csus2–D–Dsus4 cluster as its own loop, hands together, at about 70 BPM before bringing it up to speed.
Pay attention to your sustain pedal — this peaceful, flowing feel depends on clean pedal changes right on each new bass note, not before.
If you let pedal moments get sloppy, the harmonies blur into mud.
Once it clicks, this song will genuinely solidify your confidence with suspended chords and smooth voice leading, skills that transfer to dozens of other ballads.
Try other practice modes:
About “Nightswimming”
- Can I learn "Nightswimming" 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 "Nightswimming" with hands-separate practice in G at 100 BPM.
- What key is "Nightswimming" by R.E.M. played in?
- Nightswimming is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Nightswimming"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Nightswimming" 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 "Nightswimming"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Nightswimming"?
- "Nightswimming" was originally performed by R.E.M.. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Nightswimming"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: A, C, Cpow, Csus2, D, Dpow, Dsus4, G.
- What other songs by R.E.M. can I play here?
- Try "EVERYBODY HURTS", "IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT", "Everybody Hurts". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Can I practice left and right hand separately for "Nightswimming"?
- 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 "Nightswimming" one hand at a time before combining them.
- What is falling notes style for "Nightswimming"?
- 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. "Nightswimming" is in the key of G at 100 BPM.
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