Louis Armstrong - Down by the Riverside Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram
[Opening]
I’m gonna [D]lay down my burden Lord, down by the riverside,
[A]Down by the riverside, [D]down by the riverside,
I’m gonna [D]lay down my burden Lord, down by the riverside,
Ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more
[chorus]
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
Ain’t a gonna [A]study war no [D]mo[D7]re,
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
I ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more.
[verse 2]
I’m gonna [D]lay down my sword & shield, down by the riverside,
[A]Down by the riverside, [D]down by the riverside,
I’m gonna [D]lay down my sword & shield, down by the riverside,
Ain’t gonna [A]study war no [D]more
[chorus]
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
Ain’t a gonna [A]study war no [D]mo[D7]re,
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
I ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more.
[chorus]
I’m gonna [D]meet my dear father Lord.down by the riverside,
[A]Down by the riverside, [D]down by the riverside,
I’m gonna [D]meet my dear father Lord.down by the riverside,
Ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more
[chorus]
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
Ain’t a gonna [A]study war no [D]mo[D7]re,
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
I ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more.
[chorus]
I’m gonna [D]meet my dear mother Lord.down by the riverside,
[A]Down by the riverside, [D]down by the riverside,
I’m gonna [D]meet my dear mother Lord.down by the riverside,
Ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more
[chorus]
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
Ain’t a gonna [A]study war no [D]mo[D7]re,
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
I ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more.
[Closing]
I’m gonna [D]put on my starry crown, ..down by the riverside,
[A]Down by the riverside, [D]down by the riverside,
I’m gonna [D]put on my starry crown, ..down by the riverside,
Ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more
[chorus]
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
Ain’t a gonna [A]study war no [D]mo[D7]re,
Ain’t a gonna [G7]study war no more, ain’t a gonna [D]study war no more.
I ain’t gonna [A]study [A7]war no [D]more.
How to play Down by the Riverside on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Louis Armstrong - Down by the Riverside on guitar requires 5 chords and 6 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Down by the Riverside uses these transitions most often: D → A (20), A → D (11), and G7 → D (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D - A chord transition.
1. D → A chord transition
To move from D to A;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 3 to fret 2.
2. A → A7 chord transition
To move from A to A7;
- While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
3. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
4. D → G7 chord transition
To move from D to G7;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
5. D → D7 chord transition
To move from D to D7;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.
6. D7 → G7 chord transition
To move from D7 to G7;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 1.
Down by the Riverside chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Down by the Riverside.
- Down by the Riverside includes 74 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Down by the Riverside contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Down by the Riverside connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → A: 17%
- D → D7: 1%
After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).- A → D: 29%
- A → A7: 3%