So, you want to learn the Moon River chords!
Well, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ll do a complete chordal analysis of Moon River and break down all the cool compositional devices within it.
Then, after we’re done with all the theory, we’ll look at the tune’s history and why it’s been such a timeless jazz jam (even today with Frank Ocean’s and Jacob Collier’s versions).
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Moon River Chords and Analysis
Before we do a full chord analysis for Moon River and explore each section of the classic jazz tune, let’s refresh chord progressions, keys, and Roman numerals to help prepare you for the analysis.
Understanding Chord Progressions, Key Centers, and Roman Numerals
Below, you’ll find the Moon River chords broken into different song sections. As we mentioned above, the song follows an A B A C format. We’ll explore the chord progressions of each section, but you’ll also see Roman numerals below the staff.
If you aren’t familiar with their function in music theory, Roman numerals tell musicians how each chord functions in relation to the tonal center.
You can argue that Moon River stays (mostly) in the key of C. Here are all the chords in the key of C with Roman numerals listed:
For the most part, Moon River uses these chords.
However, there are places in the tune where Henry Mancini used secondary dominants and modal interchange to bring some non-diatonic color into the chord progressions.
Here are some definitions:
- Secondary Dominants: Secondary dominants temporarily tonicize a chord other than the tonic (the I chord) by introducing its dominant chord. This dominant chord is borrowed from a different key and typically resolves to a chord other than the tonic.
- Modal Interchange: Modal interchange, also known as borrowed harmony or modal mixture, refers to the practice of borrowing chords or harmonic elements from a parallel key or mode to enrich harmonic progressions and create variety in compositions.
Look Out for the 2-5-1s in the Moon River Chords
You’ll also see different variations of the most common jazz chord progression—the 2-5-1 progression!
Many jazz tunes use this progression to resolve back to the I chord. However, it can also temporarily tonicize another chord in the progression, with a secondary dominant acting as the V in the ii-V-I.
Check out this article on the 2-5-1 progression for more information!
Moon River Chords: The A Section
The A section of Moon River stays mostly within the key of C and follows this progression:
- [ I – vi – IV – I – IV – I – viiø – III7]
To transition to the B section, which moves the relative minor (A-), the last chord of the A section is a secondary dominant, which tonicizes the vi chord (A-) in the next measure.
When thinking improvisationally, you can consider this a temporary key change to the relative minor (see the red box in the image above). In this case, the B-7b5 chord is the iiø, and the E7b9 is the V. Therefore, you can use any minor iiø-V-i line in A- over this particular section!
For more on how to handle minor ii-V-i progressions, check out this article on minor ii-V-I licks.
Moon River Chords: The B Section
The B section of Moon River uses secondary dominants and modal interchange.
The first four bars follow this chord progression:
- [ vi – vi – IV – bVII7 ]
The bVII7 or Bb7 chord is borrowed from the key of C minor, where the Bb7 chord serves as the VII7 chord. This is an example of modal interchange.
In the second four bars, the harmonic rhythm changes. Instead of one chord per measure, we get two chords per measure, so the chords change twice as fast:
- [ vi – vi – bvø – VII7 – iii – VI – ii – V ]
You might see a bvø and freak out because it isn’t very common to see! However, if we look at the chords in the second measure below as an iiø-V to (E-7) or a tonicization of the iii chord, they make way more sense (boxed in green).
This is a secondary ii-V, which is the same thing as a secondary dominant, only we also add the ii chord:
Likewise, when we arrive at the iii chord in the third measure, we then play a dominant VI chord. This is another secondary ii-V to the ii chord (boxed in purple), which leads us to the actual ii-V of the key:
- D-7 – G7
If you noticed, the progression above moves from F# through the cycle of fourths to return to the tonic chord or C. When thinking about root movements, we went F#, B, E, A, D, G, C.
This is called back cycling, and it involves picking a point on the circle of fifths (or fourths for our purposes) and moving toward the target chord, which in this case was C.
After the B section, we return to the second A, which is generally identical to the first A, so we can move on to the C section.
Moon River Chords: C Section
The C section of Moon River is entirely diatonic or within the key of C (except for two chords we’ll get to in a bit). It starts off similarly to the B section but diverges by the third measure.
First, we start on the vi chord and encounter a common chromatic root movement device baked into the harmony:
We begin on an A-7, move to an A-7/G, and then to an F#-7b5 before landing on the IV chord or Fmaj7:
The F#-7b5 is one of two non-diatonic chords in the C section. However, even this could still be considered “diatonic.” This is because, besides the root note, the other notes in an F#-7b5 are identical to the non-root notes in an Fmaj7 chord (IV chord).
Fmaj7
- 7th: E
- 5th: C
- 3rd: A
- Rt: F
F#-7b5
- m7th: E
- b5th: C
- m3rd: A
- Rt: F#
Harmonically, these chords are both functionally IV chords.
The only difference is that the root moves chromatically downwards through the progression. So, that F# could be seen as a chromatic passing tone in the root and not a real deviation from the key of C.
The remaining ten measures are fairly standard:
Here is the remainder of the Moon River chords:
- [ I – IV – I – IV7 – iii – vi – ii- V – I – V ]
The dominant IV chord (F7) is a cool harmonic choice because it leads to the iii chord, which is E-7. The F7 not only chromatically leads to the iii chord (E-7) but also functions as a secondary dominant!
The F7 is a tritone sub for a B7 chord, which is the V chord for E-7. B7 and F7 share the same guide tones, so they both resolve well to E-7:
B7:
- 7th: A
- 5th: F#
- 3rd: D# (Eb)
- Rt: B
F7:
- 7th: Eb (D#)
- 5th: C
- 3rd: A
- Rt: F
Check out this article on tritone substitutions for more information!
History of Moon River
Moon River was composed for the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” directed by Blake Edwards and starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics, and Henry Mancini composed the music.
Moon River won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 34th Academy Awards in 1962. It also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year the same year.
Moon River Lyrics
Moon river, wider than a mile
I’m crossing you in style someday
Oh, dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world to see
We’re after the same rainbow’s end
Waiting round the bend
My huckleberry friend
Moon River and me
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Famous Versions of Moon River
Here are some of the most iconic versions of Moon River you should check out:
1. Audrey Hepburn (“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”)
2. Andy Williams
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Louis Armstrong
5. Barbra Streisand
6. Elton John
7. Morrissey
8. Jacob Collier
9. Frank Ocean
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