Songs › Stand by Me

How to play Stand by Me on piano

Ben E. King, 1961 · key of A major · 119 beats per minute

A, F♯ minor, D, E: the classic ’50s loop (I – vi – IV – V), the same in the verse and the chorus.

The chords

A · F♯m · D · E

Verse and chorus

A | A | F♯m | F♯m | D | E | A | A

Hand positions that barely move

• A: A – C♯ – E
• A: A – C♯ – E
• F♯m: A – C♯ – F♯
• F♯m: A – C♯ – F♯
• D: A – D – F♯
• E: G♯ – B – E
• A: A – C♯ – E
• A: A – C♯ – E

The Stand by Me lesson

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