Piano chords · Lullaby boat

How to play Lay Down on piano

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Lay Down in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: Bb – Gm – Eb – Bb
Lay Down sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIGmviEbIVBbI
- BbBb · D · F
- GmG · Bb · D
- EbEb · G · Bb
121 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Lilting climb
Three notes climbing in a long-short swing, then a pause to ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (6/8) (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 120 songs of the library.
Lilting climbBroken chord · LullabyLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Cradle chords
A chord, a rock to beat two, a soft pickup back: like a cradle. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Cradle chordsSyncopated chords · LullabyRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 75 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: Gm – Eb – Bb
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GmEbBb

What chords are in Lay Down?

The loop is Bb – Gm – Eb – Bb (I – vi – IV – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Gm – Eb – Bb.

What key is Lay Down in?

Bb major, at about 75 beats a minute in 6/8.

What does the left hand play in Lay Down?

Lilting climb: broken chord 1-5-8 (6/8), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Lay Down easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.