Mar202018

The Decemberists – Cutting Stone Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression

ChordsF#m E A

KeyKeyCapo

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This is the chord progression of Cutting Stone by The Decemberists on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Verse 1]
F#m E
Dreamed I had a cutting stone
E F#m
Dreamed I held it all my own
F#m E
It cut through wire, wood, and bone
E F#m
I’ll cut you down, my cutting stone

[Chorus]
A E
Cutting stone oh fear me none
E F#m
Whether wild or whether won
A E
Though I travel far from home
E F#m
I’ll always have my cutting stone

[Verse 2]
F#m E
Wandering, I chanced upon
E F#m
A wayward child lost anon
F#m E
And when he laid across my chest
E F#m
My cutting stone it did the rest

[Chorus]
A E
Cutting stone oh fear me none
E F#m
Whether wild or whether won
A E
Though I travel far from home
E F#m
I’ll always have my cutting stone

[Verse 3]
F#m E
In a valley green and wide
E F#m
A suitor wept for a dying bride
F#m E
And when he turned his eyes on me
E F#m
A cutting stone did set him free

[Chorus]
A E
Cutting stone oh fear me none
E F#m
Whether wild or whether won
A E
Though I travel far from home
E F#m
I’ll always have my cutting stone

[Verse 4]
F#m E
There upon a mountaintop
E F#m
I looked down on to what I’d wrought
F#m E
And when I saw my labors through
E F#m
I cut my cutting stone in two

[Chorus]
A E
Cutting stone oh fear me none
E F#m
Whether wild or whether won
A E
Though I travel far from home
E F#m
I’ll always have my cutting stone
E F#m
I’ll always have my cutting stone
E F#m
I’ll cut you down, my cutting stone

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How to play Cutting Stone: key, chords and progression

Cutting Stone by The Decemberists is centred on E major (four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). The song uses 3 chords: F#m, E and A.

The backbone of the song is E – F#m – A – E (I – ii – IV – I in E major). In solfa, that is doh – reh – fah – doh. Practise these 4 changes until they feel natural and you can play most of it.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the shapes Em, D, G (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 67% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.