Piano chords · Lullaby boat
How to play Stay With Me on piano
Written by Jerry Ragovoy & George David Weiss
- Bb major
- 6/8
- 90 BPM
- I–V7–I–V7 loop
- 1966
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Stay With Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F7 – Bb – F7
How it goes
Stay With Me sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F7 is F, A, C and Eb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIF7V7BbIF7V7- BbBb · D · F
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- 2
Left hand: Hammock heartbeat
How it goes
Long-short, long-short: the low notes sway like a hammock. Musicians call it root bass · 6/8 lilt (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 128 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pirate-stomp chords
How it goes
Three even chords that cut across the rocking bar, bold like pirates. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 90 BPM
How it goes
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: Eb – F – Bb
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
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Questions about Stay With Me
What chords are in Stay With Me?
The loop is Bb – F7 – Bb – F7 (I – V7 – I – V7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Stay With Me in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 6/8.
What does the left hand play in Stay With Me?
Hammock heartbeat: root bass · 6/8 lilt, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stay With Me 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.