Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Go Down Gamblin’ on piano
Written by David Clayton-Thomas & Fred Lipsius
- G major
- 4/4
- 104 BPM
- 1971
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Go Down Gamblin’ in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: G – Am – Csus4 – G
How it goes
Go Down Gamblin’ sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E; Csus4 is C, F and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
GIAmiiCsus4IVsus4GI- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
- Csus4C · F · G
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
How it goes
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 104 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Go Down Gamblin’
What chords are in Go Down Gamblin’?
The loop is G – Am – Csus4 – G (I5 – ii – IVsus – I) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Go Down Gamblin’ in?
G major, at about 104 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Go Down Gamblin’?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Go Down Gamblin’ 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.