Avalon chords
Roxy MusicSong Key: F Major
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 136 bpm
Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e
Skill Level: Beginner
Guitar Chords in D Major: D, E, G, A, Asus4, Bb, Cadd9
Capo: 3rd fret (to play along with the video in F Major)
Play-Along Video & Chord Charts
Avalon
Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
E
Intro: 4/4 Bass Run | | | | |
D A G A
1. Now the par-ty's over I'm so tired
D A G A
Then I see you co-ming Out of no-where
D A G A
Much com-mu-ni-ca-tion In a mo-tion
D A G A
With-out con-ver-sa-tion Or a no-tion
Cadd9 Bb Asus4 A Cadd9 Bb Asus4 E
Chorus: | | | | A-va-|-lon | | | | 𝄎 |
D A G A
2. When the sam-ba takes you Out of no-where
D A G A
And the back-ground's fa-ding Out of fo-cus
D A G A
Yes the pic-ture's chan-ging Ev'-ry mo-ment
D A G A
And your des-ti-na-tion You don't know it
Cadd9 Bb Asus4 A Cadd9 Bb Asus4 E
Chorus: | | | | A-va-|-lon | | | | 𝄎 |
E A E A E A E A
Bridge: | | | | Oo-oo| Oo | | | |
E A E A
| Dan-cing | Dan-cing | | |
E A E A
Dan-cing Dan-cing | | |
D A G A
3. When you bos-sa-no-va There's no hol-ding
D A G A
Would you have me dan-cing Out of no-where
Cadd9 Bb Asus4 A Cadd9 Bb Asus4 E
Chorus: | | | | A-va-|-lon | | | | 𝄎 | 𝄎 |
D A G A D A G A
Instrumental: | | | | | | | | |
D A G A
Outro: ‖: A-va | - lon Oo| ooh |eeh... :‖ (repeat to fade - female vocals: ad-lib)
Arrangement Details & Helpful Tips:
- Key Signature: F Major - 1 flat (Bb)
- Piano Chords: Transpose to F Major: F, G, Bb, C, Csus4, C, Ebadd9
- Tempo: Moderate
- Metronome: q = 136
- Voice Range: C4 - D5
Beginner Guitarists:
- All easy chords with the exception of Bb which may take a little bit of getting used to. You can find both open and barre chord versions Bb Major in the charts above.
- You can play the B♭ using a mini-barre with your 3rd finger over strings 2, 3, and 4 on the 3rd fret.
- Mastering mini-barres helps develop finger strength and precision, which pays off when moving into full barre chords.
- Asus4 can be played using the 3rd finger instead of the 4th... I have used the 4th finger as it is easy to play from the 'A' chord position where you simply add the 4th finger to an existing chord.
- Cadd9 can be played using the normal C chord finger positions and adding the 4th finger - if you play it like this and want to play the optional note, you will need to play strings 5 & 6 with the 2nd finger. Try the chart version - it's like an E shape played on strings 4, 5 and 6, instead of 3, 4, and 5... and you get to play the optional note with a minimum of fuss.
- Cadd9 mustn't be confused with C9...
Cadd9 is a C chord with an added 9th - formula 1-3-5-9
C9 is a C7 chord with an added 9th - formula 1-3-5-♭7-9 - The Cadd9 is a beautiful chord and when used in the right context, can sound amazing. It's a very easy chord, and a great chord to have in your repertoire.
- Ad-lib is Latin for 'at liberty', which means 'at one's pleasure'. You will notice this at the end of the song where the female vocalist sings wherever the mood takes her... and she does it very well.
- Use the Transposer for any key changes.
Song Details:
- Songwriter: Bryan Ferry
- Date: 1982
- Lyrics Begin: Now the party's over, I'm so tired...
- Genre: Lounge-rock, Synth-pop
- Featured Artists: Roxy Music
- Album: Avalon
Recorded: 1981–1982
Released: 28 May 1982 - Single:
Recorded: 1981–1982
Released: June 1982
B-side: Always Unknowing
