Left-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
Stairs down
Four notes stepping down, one per beat, into the next chord. Musicians call it walk-down 8-7-6-5.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Stairs down goes
One bar over a C chord: a row for each key, a column for each step, the finger on each note. Over another chord, move the same shape to its root.
Walk-down: Step by step down into the next chord.
Songs with Stairs down
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Stairs down, from verse to chorus.
More walks & steps
All patternsQuestions about Stairs down
What is Stairs down on piano?
Four notes stepping down, one per beat, into the next chord. Musicians call it walk-down 8-7-6-5, one of the walk-down patterns: step by step down into the next chord.
How do I play walk-down 8-7-6-5 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C4 (1), then B3 (2), then A3 (3), then G3 (4); the number after each note is the finger (1 is the thumb). Over any other chord, move the same shape to that chord's root.
What songs use Stairs down?
It is heard in 660 songs of the library, as the main groove of 58 songs, such as Lean On Me, Sweet Caroline, Jingle Bells, My Baby Just Cares For Me.
Is Stairs down easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 120 beats a minute.