Left-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
Tumble down
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Tumble 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.
Broken chord: The chord, one note at a time, close together.
Songs with Tumble down
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Tumble down, from verse to chorus.
More ripples
All patternsQuestions about Tumble down
What is Tumble down on piano?
Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-1, one of the broken chord patterns: the chord, one note at a time, close together.
How do I play broken chord 8-5-1 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C4 (1), then G3 (2), then C3 (5); 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 Tumble down?
It is heard in 635 songs of the library, as the main groove of 11 songs, such as Sweet Dreams, Maybe, Desperado, Turn! Turn! Turn!.
Is Tumble down easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 120 beats a minute.