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Dies Irae — chant and tolling fifths

Combine the haunting 16-bar Dies Irae melody with deep, bell-like bass notes in the left hand.

Next stepsTraditional 13th-century chant (quoted by Berlioz & Liszt) · 16-bar chant with deep bass · piano both handsPiano · Both hands · D minor (Dorian) · 4/4

72 beats per minute. Changing speed stops playback; press Play to start again.

Traditional 13th-century liturgical melody; rhythmic piano arrangement by NotePlayMusic. Public domain medieval melody. Teaching arrangement newly authored by NotePlayMusic. · www.noteplaymusic.com

Try it at the keyboard

  1. Hold each left-hand semibreve for all four beats so it rings like a cathedral bell underneath the right hand.
  2. In bars 9–12, shift your right hand up one step so your 5th finger reaches A4.
  3. Listen to how the C natural against the D bass gives the ancient Dorian sound.

About this score

Pairs the 16-bar 4/4 white-key Dies Irae melody with sustained D, F, C, G and A bass notes.

Traditional 13th-century liturgical melody; rhythmic piano arrangement by NotePlayMusic. Public domain medieval melody. Teaching arrangement newly authored by NotePlayMusic.

Source notation · Source score & rights notice