House of the Rising Sun

About this piece

The House of the Rising Sun is a traditional American folk song, made famous by The Animals’ 1964 recording. Its minor-key melody has a slow, rocking swing that is easy to feel at the keyboard. What you can play here is the first 32 seconds (155 notes, about 5 a second); the whole arrangement lasts 1:09, about half of it. Expect a count in 6/8 and a tempo near 108 bpm. The full arrangement spans A1 to E7, about 5½ octaves of the keyboard. About 36 % of the preview’s key presses sound two or more notes at once; the rest are single notes.

The range is wide, so sit at the middle of the keyboard and let your arms travel.

Full song

1:09

Preview

the opening 32 s, 155 notes

Tempo

about 108 bpm

Time signature

6/8

Range (full song)

A1–E7 (about 5½ octaves)

Notes (full song)

318