Down By The Salley Gardens Piano Chords & Patterns

Learn Down By The Salley Gardens in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: D – A – G – D
How it goes
Down By The Salley Gardens sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D is D, F# and A; A is A, C# and E; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DIAVGIVDI
- DD · F# · A
- AA · C# · E
- GG · B · D
202 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Rocket sweep
How it goes
Climbs two octaves in two big leaps, soaring like a rocket. Musicians call it wide arpeggio 1-5-8-8-12-15 (wide arpeggio), a tricky pattern heard in 140 songs of the library.
Rocket sweepWide arpeggio · Film scoreLeft handTricky
3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
4
Both hands at 100 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: G – A – D
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD

What chords are in Down By The Salley Gardens?

The loop is D – A – G – D (I – V – IV – I) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.

What key is Down By The Salley Gardens in?

D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Down By The Salley Gardens?

Rocket sweep: wide arpeggio 1-5-8-8-12-15, a tricky pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Down By The Salley Gardens 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.