Piano chords · Film & wonder
How to play Bury Me Beneath the Willow on piano
Written by Southeastern American Folksong
- A major
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- Tricky
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Bury Me Beneath the Willow in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – E – F#m – D
How it goes
Bury Me Beneath the Willow sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; E is E, G# and B; F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIEVF#mviDIV- AA · C# · E
- EE · G# · B
- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Rainbow sweep
How it goes
Five notes arc up two octaves like a rainbow, then let it ring. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 1-5-8-10-15 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 78 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Mouse-run chords
How it goes
Skips beat 1, scurries through four quick chords, then hides. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 80 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA
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Questions about Bury Me Beneath the Willow
What chords are in Bury Me Beneath the Willow?
The loop is A – E – F#m – D (I – V – vi – IV) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Bury Me Beneath the Willow in?
A major, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Bury Me Beneath the Willow?
Rainbow sweep: wide arpeggio 1-5-8-10-15, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Bury Me Beneath the Willow easy to play on piano?
It is a tricky one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.