Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
Hello! Below you'll find my "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song by Otis Redding is an absolute timeless classic and the piano chords themselves are very simple! I hope you have fun learning this groovy, feel good song.
Enjoy!
(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay:
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| G | G | G | G |
[Verse]
G B
Sittin' in the morning sun
C A
I'll be sittin' when the evening come
G B
Watching the ships roll in
C A
And then I'll watch 'em roll away again, yeah
[Chorus]
G Esus2
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
G Esus2
Watching the tide roll away
G A
Ooo I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
G E
Wasting ti---ime
[Verse]
G B
I left my home in Georgia
C A
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
G B
'Cause I've had nothing to live for
C A
And look like nothing's gonna come my way
[Chorus]
G Esus2
So I'm just gon' sit on the dock of the bay
G Esus2
Watching the tide roll away
G A
Ooo I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
G E
Wasting ti---ime
G E
Wasting ti---ime
[Bridge]
G D C C7
Look like nothing's gonna change
G D C C7
Everything still remains the same
G D C G
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
F D
So I guess I'll remain the same yes
[Verse]
G B
Sittin' here resting my bones
C A
And this loneliness won't leave me alone, listen
G B
2000 miles I roamed
C A
Just to make this dock my home
[Chorus]
G Esus2
Now I'm just gon' sit at the dock of the bay
G Esus2
Watching the tide roll away
G A
Ooowee I'm sittin' on that dock of the bay
G E
Wasting ti---ime
[Wistling Outro]
| G | G | G | E |
(Repeat and fade, or end on G)
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
