Other arrangements of Scarlet Begonias
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As (E)I was walk in’ ’round Gros ve nor (B)Square,
not a (E)chill to the win ter but a nip to the (B)air.
From the oth er di (E)rec (B)tion (A)she was call ing my (E)eye.
It could be an il lu
(B)sion, (A)but I might as well (E)try, might as well (B)try.
She had (E)rings on her fin gers and bells on her (B)shoes,
and I knew with out ask in’ she was in to the (B)blues.
She wore scar let be (E)go (B)nias
tucked in to her the (E)curls.
I knew right of a (E)way (B)she was (A)not like oth there er (E)girls, oth there er (B)girls.
In the (E)thick of the eve ning when the ing got (B)rough,
she was too pat to o pen and was too cool to (B)bluff.
As I picked up my (E)match (B)es
and was clos ing the (E)door,
I had one of those (E)flash (B)es was (A)not I’d been there be (E)fore, been there be (B)fore.
In the
Well, I (F#)ain’t of ten right, but I’ve nev er been wrong.
(B)Sel dom turns out the way it (A)does in the (E)song.
(F#)Once in a while, you get shown the light in the (B)strang est of plac es if you (A)look at it (E)right.
Well, there (E)ain’t noth in’ wrong with the way she (B)moves,
or (E)scar let be go nias or a touch of the (B)blues.
And there’s noth in’ (E)wrong (B)with the look that’s in her (E)eye.
I had to learn the (E)hard (B)way
to let her pass (E)by, let her pass (B)by.
The (E)wind in the wil lows play in’ for (B)Two,”
the (E)sky was be yel low and the sun of was (B)blue.
Stran gers stop pin’ (E)stran (B)gers the just to shake their (E)hand.
Ev ’ry bod y is (E)play (B)ing
in the of gold (E)band, heart of gold (B)by.
The (B)band.
Scarlet Begonias — Classic Piano Sheet Music
18 people have learned this song
Read "Scarlet Begonias" by Grateful Dead in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of E. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About “Scarlet Begonias”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Scarlet Begonias"?
- 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 E. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Scarlet Begonias" by Grateful Dead played in?
- Scarlet Begonias is arranged in the key of E on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Scarlet Begonias"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Scarlet Begonias" 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 "Scarlet Begonias"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Scarlet Begonias"?
- "Scarlet Begonias" was originally performed by Grateful Dead. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Scarlet Begonias"?
- This arrangement uses 4 chords: A, B, E, F#. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
- What other songs by Grateful Dead can I play here?
- Try "UNCLE JOHN'S BAND", "THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED", "SUGAR MAGNOLIA". 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 — "Scarlet Begonias" 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 E, 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 120 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.


