Learn Down by the Riverside online
Practice a simplified piano theme from Down by the Riverside with interactive keyboard prompts.
Composer / source · Traditional Spiritual
Make yourself a little music.
Click a key, or press A, S, D on your keyboard.
More tools & keyboard help
Large letters are computer keys; small labels are musical notes. Hold Space for sustain. On mobile, use the arrows to change the visible range.
Down by the Riverside piano letter notes
Each letter is one note, read left to right. A # means the black key just to the right of that letter. Below the note names you’ll find the matching computer keys for the piano on this page.
Note names
C E G G A G E C E G A C A G E D C
Computer keys on this piano
K ; W W E W ; K ; W E T E W ; L K
About the Down by the Riverside melody
What are the first notes of Down by the Riverside?
It starts with C E G G A G E C.
Does Down by the Riverside use black keys?
No. This simplified melody uses only white keys, which makes it a comfortable first song.
What range does it cover?
From C4 (middle C) to C5. Everything fits on the 37-key piano above (C3–C6).
How long does it take to learn?
This version has 17 notes at about 104 BPM. Most beginners can play it through in about 4 minutes of guided practice.