Lay Me Down Piano Chords & Patterns

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: E – C#m – F#m – A
Lay Me Down sits in E major: E is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: E is E, G# and B; C#m is C#, E and G#; F#m is F#, A and C#; A is A, C# and E. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EIC#mviF#miiAIV
- EE · G# · B
- C#mC# · E · G#
- F#mF# · A · C#
- AA · C# · E
12 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Engine 8ths
The lowest note on every eighth: the engine of rock. Musicians call it root bass · 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Engine 8thsRoot bass rhythm · RockLeft handMedium
3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Pumping chordsPumping 8ths · RockRight handMedium
4
Both hands at 56 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#m – A – E
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
F#mAE

What chords are in Lay Me Down?

The loop is E – C#m – F#m – A (I – vi – ii – IV) in E major, and the song ends on F#m – A – E.

What key is Lay Me Down in?

E major, at about 56 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Lay Me Down?

Engine 8ths: root bass · 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Lay Me 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.