Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Lay Me Down on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Lay Me Down in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: F – G – Am – G
Lay Me Down sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; G is G, B and D; Am is A, C and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVGVAmviGV
- FF · A · C
- GG · B · D
- AmA · C · E
34 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Hurry-and-wait pulse
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
Hurry-and-wait pulseRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Swing push
Three chords tumble out early with a swing, then the bar breathes. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Swing pushSyncopated chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 124 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: F – G – C
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
- CC · E · G

What chords are in Lay Me Down?

The loop is F – G – Am – G (IV – V – vi – V) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.

What key is Lay Me Down in?

C major, at about 124 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Lay Me Down?

Hurry-and-wait pulse: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Lay Me 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.