Mike Oldfield - Moonlight Shadow 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 E,B,F# keys to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
[Opening]
The [Dm]last that ever she [Bb]saw him
[C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
He [Dm]passed on worried and [Bb]warning
[C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow.
[verse 2]
[F]Lost in a river last [C]Saturday night
[Dm]Far a[Bb]way on the [C]other side
He was [F]caught in the middle of a [C]desperate fight
And she [Dm]couldn’t find [Bb]how to push [C]through
[verse 3]
The [Dm]trees that whisper in the [Bb]evening
[C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
Sing a [Dm]song of sorrow and [Bb]grieving
[C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
[verse 4]
[F]All she saw was a [C]silhouette of a gun
[Dm]Far a[Bb]way on the [C]other side
He was [F]shot six times by a [C]man on the run
And she [Dm]couldn’t find [Bb]how to push [C]through
[chorus]
[C]I [C]stay [C]I [C]pray
[F]See you in [Bb]heaven [C]far away
[C]I [C]stay [C]I [C]pray
[F]See you in [Bb]heaven [C]one [C]day
[verse 5]
[Dm]Four am in the [Bb]morning
[C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
I [Dm]watched your vision [Bb]forming
[C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
[verse 6]
[F]Star was light in a [C]silvery night
[Dm]Far a[Bb]way on the [C]other side
Will you [F]come to talk to [C]me this night
But she [Dm]couldn’t find [Bb]how to push [C]through
[chorus]
[C]I [C]stay [C]I [C]pray
[F]See you in [Bb]heaven [C]far away
[C]I [C]stay [C]I [C]pray
[F]See you in [Bb]heaven [C]one [C]day
[interlude]
[Dm] [Bb] [C] [F] [C] [Dm] [Bb] [C] [F] [C]
[Closing]
[F]Caught in the middle of a [C]hundred and five [Dm] [Bb] [C]
The [F]night was heavy but the [C]air was alive
But she [Dm]couldn’t find [Bb]how to push [C]through
[Dm] [Bb] [C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
[Dm] [Bb] [C]Carried away by a [F]moonlight [C]shadow
How to play Moonlight Shadow on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Mike Oldfield - Moonlight Shadow on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 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.
Moonlight Shadow uses these transitions most often: Bb → C (22), C → F (22), and Dm → Bb (18). 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 Dm - Bb chord transition.
1. Dm → Bb chord transition
To move from Dm to Bb;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
- Place pinky on B string fret 3.
2. Bb → C chord transition
To move from Bb to C;
- While playing Bb, lift your pinky from B string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
3. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
4. C → Dm chord transition
To move from C to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
5. F → Bb chord transition
To move from F to Bb;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
- Slide your pinky from D string fret 3 to B string fret 3.
Moonlight Shadow chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Moonlight Shadow.
- Moonlight Shadow includes 101 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Moonlight Shadow contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Moonlight Shadow connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
- C → F: 16%
- C → Dm: 5%
After Bb, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (34%), C (20%), and Dm (9%).- Bb → C: 20%