Standards · 1960
Moon River chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- AA
- Bars
- 38
- Groove
- Jazz waltz
- Time signature
- 3/4
- Year
- 1960
“Moon River” is a jazz standard by Henry Mancini from 1960. It is usually played in C major as a jazz waltz, and the 38-bar AA form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres A minor, C major, E minor and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 9 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Fmaj7♯11×6
- Cmaj7/E×6
- Am7×4
- G7×3
- Cmaj7×2
- Bm7♭5×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
A minor, C major, E minor and D minor
History
"Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won the 1962 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In 1999, Mancini's recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song has been recorded by many other artists. It became the theme song for Andy Williams, who first recorded it in 1962 (and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremony that year). He sang the first eight bars of the song at the beginning of each episode of his eponymous television show and named his production company and venue in Branson, Missouri, after it; his autobiography is called "Moon River" and Me. Williams' version was included in a LP that he recorded for Columbia on a hit album of 1962, Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- MOON RIVER THE BAR HARBOR SOCIETY ORCHESTRA · David · 1921 archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Look For The Silver Lining 25% | E♭ major |
| I've Never Been In Love Before 23% | B♭ major |
| Lullaby Of Birdland 23% | A♭ major |
| Time After Time 23% | C major |
| I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 22% | E♭ major |
| In Love In Vain 22% | B♭ major |
| A Ghost Of A Chance 20% | C major |
| Diane 20% | E♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Moon River in?
Moon River is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote Moon River?
Moon River was written by Henry Mancini (1960).
What is the form of Moon River?
Moon River has 2 sections (AA) with 38 bars in total.
How fast is Moon River played?
The usual groove is Jazz waltz.
What are the chord changes to Moon River?
The opening bars are Cmaj7 | Am7 | Fmaj7#11 | Cmaj7/E. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.