Piano chords · Waltz garden

How to play Lady Lay Down on piano

By John Conlee

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Lady Lay Down in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – D – F#m – G
Lady Lay Down sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; D is D, F# and A; F#m is F#, A and C#; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AVDIF#miiiGIV
- AA · C# · E
- DD · F# · A
- F#mF# · A · C#
- GG · B · D
2
Left hand: Oom-pah-pah
One strong beat and two light ones: a dance in three. Musicians call it waltz oom-pah-pah (waltz), an easy pattern heard in 526 songs of the library.
Oom-pah-pahWaltz · WaltzLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Chattering waltz
After the first beat, quick chords and notes chatter to the end of the bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Chattering waltzSyncopated chords · WaltzRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 100 BPM
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
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD

What chords are in Lady Lay Down?

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

What key is Lady Lay Down in?

D major, at about 100 beats a minute in 3/4.

What does the left hand play in Lady Lay Down?

Oom-pah-pah: waltz oom-pah-pah, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Lady Lay Down 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.