Other arrangements of Uncle John's Band
Pick a learning view.
Well, the (G)first days are the hard est days; don’t you (C)wor ry an y (G)more.
’Cause when (Gsus)life (G)looks like Eas y Street, there is (C)dan ger at your (G)door.
(Am)Think this through with me;
(C)Let me know your mind.
(C)Whoa, oh, what (D)I want to know
is are you (G)kind?
me?
It’s a (G)buck danc er’s choice hard my friend; bet ter (C)take ry my a (G)dvice.
’Cause You (Gsus)know (G)all the rules by now and the (C)fire ger from the (G)ice.
(Am)Will you come with me?
(C)Won’t you come with me?
(C)Whoa, oh, what (D)I want to know:
will you come (G)with me?
It’s a
God damn, well, I de clare,
(Am)have you (G)seen (Am)the (D)like?
Their (C)walls are built of can non balls; their (G)mot to is: “Don’t tread on me.”
(G)Come hear Un cle John’s (C)Band (Am)play ing (G)to the (D)tide.
(C)Come with me or go a lone, he’s (G)come to (D)take his (C)chil dren (D6)home.
It’s the same sto ry the crow told me, it’s the (C)on ly one he (G)knows.
Like the morn ing a sun you come and I (C)like the wind you (G)go.
(Am)Ain’t no time to hate,
(C)bare ly time to wait.
(C)Whoa, oh, what (D)I (G)want to know:
where (D)does the (G)time go?
the I live in a sil ver mine and I (C)call it Beg gar’s (G)Tomb.
I the got me a vi o lin and I (C)beg you call the (G)tune.
(Am)An y bod y’s choice,
(C)I can hear your voice.
(C)Whoa, oh, what (D)I (G)want to know:
how (D)does the (G)song go?
(G)Come Come hear Un cle John’s (C)Band (Am)by the (G)riv er (D)side.
(C)Got on some things to talk a bout he’s (G)here be (D)side the (C)ris ing (D6)tide.
(G)Come Come hear Un cle John’s (C)Band (Am)play ing (G)to the (D)tide.
(C)Come on a long or go a lone, he’s (G)come to (D)take his (C)chil ing (D6)tide.
dren home.
(C)Whoa, oh, what I want to know:
how does the (G)song go?
Come hear Un cle John’s (C)Band (Am)by the (G)riv (C5)er (D)side.
(C)Got some things to talk a bout
(C)here be side the ris ing tide.
Come hear Un cle John’s Band (Am)play ing (G)to (C5)the (D)tide.
(C)Come on a long or go a lone, he’s (G)come to (D)take his (C)chil dren (D)home.
Da da da da da da,
Da da da da da da,
da da da da da (Dsus2)da.
Uncle John's Band — Classic Piano Sheet Music
2 people have learned this song
Read "Uncle John's Band" by Grateful Dead in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of G. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 112 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 “Uncle John's Band”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Uncle John's Band"?
- 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 G. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Uncle John's Band" by Grateful Dead played in?
- Uncle John's Band 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 "Uncle John's Band"?
- The arrangement plays at 112 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Uncle John's Band" 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 "Uncle John's Band"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Uncle John's Band"?
- "Uncle John's Band" was originally performed by Grateful Dead. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Uncle John's Band"?
- This arrangement uses 10 chords: Am, C, Cpow, D, D6, Dm7, Dsus2, Em, +2 more.
- What other songs by Grateful Dead can I play here?
- Try "THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED", "SUGAR MAGNOLIA", "BOX OF RAIN". 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 — "Uncle John's Band" 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 G, 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 112 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.
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