Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play Go Down, Moses on piano
Artist unknown
- G minor
- 4/4
- 80 BPM
- 2000
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Go Down, Moses in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: D7 – Gm – Cm – D
How it goes
Go Down, Moses sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: D7 is D, F#, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
D7V7GmiCmivDV- D7D · F# · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Power fifths
How it goes
Root and fifth together: big and bold. Musicians call it lh power fifths (left-hand chords), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pausing chords
How it goes
Three steady chords, then beat 4 left empty to breathe. 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: Eb – F – Gm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Go Down, Moses
What chords are in Go Down, Moses?
The loop is D7 – Gm – Cm – D (V7 – i – iv – V) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Go Down, Moses in?
G minor, at about 80 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Go Down, Moses?
Power fifths: lh power fifths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Go Down, Moses 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.