Blue Moon | Chords + Lyrics (Billie Holiday)
Verse 1
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone.
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Gb7b5 F7 | E7b9 Eb7 | Ab6 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 |
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 2
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for.
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Gb7b5 F7 | Bbm7 Eb11 | Ab6 Gb7 | Ab6 Adim7 |
You heard me saying a prayer for, someone I really could care for.
Bridge 1
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Ab6 F7 |
And then they suddenly appeared before me.
| Bbm7 Eb11 | Ab6 D7b9 |
The only one my arms will ever hold.
| Dbm7 Gb7 | Bmaj7 |
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”.
| Ebmaj7 Bb13 | Eb#5 Eb7 |
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
Blue moon, now I’m no longer alone.
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Solo 1 (Sax)
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Gb7b5 F7 | E7b9 Eb7 | Ab6 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 |
Solo 2 (Sax)
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Gb7b5 F7 | Bbm7 Eb11 | Ab6 Gb7 | Ab6 Adim7 |
Solo 3 (Trumpet)
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Ab6 F7 |
| Bbm7 Eb11 | Ab6 D7b9 |
| Dbm7 Gb7 | Bmaj7 |
| Ebmaj7 Bb13 | Eb#5 Eb7 |
Solo 4 (Sax)
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Gb7b5 F7 | E7b9 Eb7 | Ab6 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 |
Verse 4 (as verse 1)
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone.
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 5 (as verse 2)
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for.
You heard me saying a prayer for, someone I really could care for.
Bridge 2
And then they suddenly appeared before me.
The only one my arms will ever hold.
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”.
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.
Outro
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
Blue moon, now I’m no longer alone.
| Bbm7 Eb7 | Gb7b5 F7 | E7b9 Eb7 | Ab6 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Ab6 |
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own. Blue moon.
Blue Moon | Chords + Lyrics (key of Eb)
Verse 1
| Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 |
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone.
| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Fm7/Bb | Eb Ab/E | Eb Bb7 |
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 2
| Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 |
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for.
| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Fm7/Bb | Eb Ab/E | Eb Cm7 |
You heard me saying a prayer for, someone I really could care for.
Bridge 1
| Fm7 Bb7 | Eb |
And then they suddenly appeared before me.
| Fm7 Bb7 | Eb |
The only one my arms will ever hold.
| Abm7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 |
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”.
| Bb/F F7 | Fm7/Bb Bb7 |
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
Blue moon, now I’m no longer alone.
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Solo
| Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 |
| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Fm7/Bb | Eb Ab/E | Eb Bb7 |
| Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 |
| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Fm7/Bb | Eb Ab/E | Eb Cm7 |
| Fm7 Bb7 | Eb | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb |
| Abm7 Db7 | Gbmaj7 | Bb/F F7 | Fm7/Bb Bb7 |
| Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 |
| Bb7 Bb7/Ab | G7sus4 C7b9 | Fm7 Fm7/Bb | Eb Ab/E | Eb Fm7 Bb7 |
Verse 4 (as verse 1)
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone.
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 5 (as verse 2)
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for.
You heard me saying a prayer for, someone I really could care for.
Bridge 2
And then they suddenly appeared before me.
The only one my arms will ever hold.
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”.
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.
Outro
| Ebmaj7 Cm7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Cm7 |
Blue moon, now I’m no longer alone.
| Bb7 Bb7/Ab | G7sus4 C7b9 | Fm7 Fm7/Bb | Eb Ab/E | Eb Fm7 Bb7 | Eb6 |
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own. Blue moon.
Blue Moon | Chords + Lyrics (Key of C)
Verse 1
| Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 |
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone.
| Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 |
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 2
| Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 |
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for.
| Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Fmaj7 | Cmaj7 C#dim7 |
You heard me saying a prayer for, someone I really could care for.
Bridge 1
| Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 |
And then they suddenly appeared before me.
| Dm7 G7 | C6 |
The only one my arms will ever hold.
| Fm7 Bb | Eb Cm7 |
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”.
| G/D D7 | G G7 |
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
Blue moon, now I’m no longer alone.
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 4 (as verse 1)
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone.
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.
Verse 5 (as verse 2)
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for.
You heard me saying a prayer for, someone I really could care for.
Bridge 2
And then they suddenly appeared before me.
The only one my arms will ever hold.
I heard somebody whisper “Please adore me”.
And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.
Outro
| Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 |
Blue moon, now I’m no longer alone.
| Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | C6 |
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own. Blue moon.
Blue Moon Chords: Master the Progressions and Transpositions
As a jazz standard, Blue Moon has been recorded in countless keys by different singers and instrumentalists. There’s no definitive “original” key, but that’s part of the charm—jazz musicians are expected to adapt, transpose, and extend the chords to suit various interpretations.
To help with this, I’ve provided three versions of Blue Moon above: one in Ab (as sung by Billie Holiday), another in Eb (from the Real Book), and a simplified version in C.
To truly master the song, it’s essential to think of the chord progression in Roman numerals, allowing you to transpose it into any key effortlessly. Here’s the basic structure in C:
||: Cmaj7 (I) Am7 (VI) | Dm7 (II) G7 (V) :||
Before diving into improvisation, make sure you can smoothly transition between these four chords using the closest possible voicings.
I’ve created TAB to guide you through this process, showing exactly how to play Blue Moon efficiently. You can find that part of the lesson here: Blue Moon – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’re comfortable in C, start taking Blue Moon through all keys. These chords form the foundation for arpeggios and modes, both essential for jazz soloing. If you skip this step, you’ll struggle when it comes to improvisation.
Each chord corresponds with a scale and arpeggio:
- Cmaj7 → Ionian & maj7 arpeggio
- Am7 → Aeolian & min7 arpeggio
- Dm7 → Dorian & min7 arpeggio
- G7 → Mixolydian & dom7 arpeggio
By practising these shapes in every key and across the fretboard, you’ll develop a deep understanding of jazz harmony—an essential skill for soloing and chord-melody playing.
Mastering Blue Moon – The Bridge & Key Changes
Jazz goes far beyond simple chord progressions—you can substitute and superimpose chords in countless ways. However, before exploring these advanced concepts, you must first be able to phrase confidently using the fundamental shapes across all five positions of the CAGED system and in all 12 keys.
Many guitarists move on too soon without fully internalising these basics, which leads to gaps in their playing.
Blue Moon – The Bridge Chords
The bridge follows a familiar II – V – I – VI progression:
| Dm7 (II) G7 (V) | Cmaj7 (I) Am7 (VI) |
| Dm7 (II) G7 (V) | C6 (I) |
There’s nothing particularly challenging here—just make sure you can play it smoothly in all five areas of the fretboard and in all 12 keys.
Now, let’s change the key to Eb, where the same progression looks like this:
| Fm (II) Bb (V) | Eb (I) Cm7 (VI) |
It’s the same harmonic movement, just in a new key. If you’ve thoroughly practised in all positions and keys, this transposition should feel natural.
The final two bars introduce a D7 – G7 movement, setting us up to return to the verse in C:
| G/D D7 | G G7 |
The Key to Mastering Jazz
Jazz will expose any weaknesses immediately if you haven’t put in the work. The first step is mastering Blue Moon’s chords using the closest possible shapes in every key and position.
Once you can do this fluently, all you need for comping and soloing is a chord chart—which I’ve prepared for you!
Blue Moon Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Blue Moon Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Blue Moon iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Blue Moon – Background & Legacy
Written in 1939 by the legendary Broadway songwriting duo Rodgers & Hart, Blue Moon has since become one of their most famous compositions. Over time, it has evolved into a jazz standard, recorded by countless artists across generations.
Some of the most iconic renditions include:
- Billie Holiday (1952)
- Ella Fitzgerald (1956)
- Frank Sinatra (1961)
- Dean Martin (1964)
In 1961, doo-wop group The Marcels took Blue Moon to #1, transforming it into an upbeat, harmonised classic. However, Elvis Presley had already released his slower, more haunting version back in 1956, earning a Top 10 hit.
The song’s influence extends beyond jazz and pop. On Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love (1967), Eric Clapton subtly references Blue Moon’s melody at the start of his solo.
Yet, Blue Moon’s legacy didn’t fade after the 1960s. It continues to be reinterpreted, with artists like Willie Nelson (2018) keeping it alive. Even Tommy Emmanuel, the acoustic guitar virtuoso, frequently includes his instrumental arrangement in live performances.
To truly master Blue Moon, start by studying the chords and lyrics—and since it’s a jazz standard, make sure you can play it in at least three different keys!
Blue Moon Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Blue Moon (Billie Holiday) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: