Piano chords · Classical salon

How to play Down By The Salley Gardens on piano

Written by William Butler Yeats

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

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: A7 – D – A7 – G
How it goes
Down By The Salley Gardens sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; D is D, F# and A; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7V7DIA7V7GIV
- A7A · C# · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
2
Left hand: Music-box murmur
How it goes
Low, high, middle, high in quick notes, tinkling like a music box. Musicians call it alberti bass 8-12-10-12 (alberti bass), a medium pattern heard in 48 songs of the library.
Music-box murmurAlberti bass · ClassicalLeft handMedium
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
- AA · C# · E

What chords are in Down By The Salley Gardens?

The loop is A7 – D – A7 – G (V7 – I – V7 – IV) 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?

Music-box murmur: alberti bass 8-12-10-12, a medium 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 medium 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.