Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Stand By Me on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Stand By Me in 5 steps

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

1
Chords: A – F#m – D – E
Stand By Me sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIF#mviDIVEV
- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- EE · G# · B
95 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Double-tap drop
The same note twice, long then short, then a drop to a lower note. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 336 songs of the library.
Double-tap dropBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Offbeat skankOffbeat chords · Blues and boogie-woogieRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 90 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: D – E – A
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA

What chords are in Stand By Me?

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

What key is Stand By Me in?

A major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Stand By Me?

Double-tap drop: broken chord 8-8-5, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Stand By Me 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.