Piano chords · Waltz garden
How to play Moon River on piano
By Audrey Hepburn
- C major
- 3/4
- 110 BPM
- IV–I–IV–I loop
- 1961
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Moon River in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – C – F – C
How it goes
Moon River sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FIVCIFIVCI- FF · A · C
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Moonlit waves
How it goes
Rolls up to a high note and back down, slow and wide in three. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (3/4) (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 84 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 110 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
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Questions about Moon River
What chords are in Moon River?
The loop is F – C – F – C (IV – I – IV – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Moon River in?
C major, at about 110 beats a minute in 3/4.
What does the left hand play in Moon River?
Moonlit waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (3/4), a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Moon River easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.