Roy Orbison - Penny Arcade Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[G] [C] [G] [C]
[C]A light shone in the night somewhere a[F]head
[D7]Blue turned into green, then it was [G]red.
And, [C]stirring the night, loud music [F]played
The [D7]light I saw in the night was a penny ar[G]cade. [F] [Em] [G]
[chorus]
[C]”Step up and play”, each maching seemed to say
as I walked round and round the penny ar[G]cade.
[G7]”Just ring the bell on the big bagatelle
and you’ll make all the coloured lights cas[C]cade”.
And music [F]played in the penny ar[C]cade.
Yes, it [F]played and it played, [G]played all the time
[C]”Roll up and [F]spend your last [C]dime!”
[verse 2]
At first I thought it a dream that I was [F]in.
Lost , [D7]lost in a sea of glass and [G]tin.
But no, [C]so dipping my hand in the back of my [F]jeans,
I [D7]grabbed a handful of coins to feed the [G]mach[F]i[Em] [C]nes.
[chorus]
[C]”Step up and play”, each maching seemed to say
as I walked round and round the penny ar[G]cade.
[G7]”Just ring the bell on the big bagatelle
and you’ll make all the coloured lights cas[C]cade”.
And music [F]played in the penny ar[C]cade.
Yes, it [F]played and it played, [G]played all the time
[C]”Roll up and [F]spend your last [C]dime!”
[Closing]
[C]Roll up and [F]spend your last,
[C]Roll up and [F]spend your last,
[C]roll up and [F]spend your last [C]dime!”
How to play Penny Arcade on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Roy Orbison - Penny Arcade on guitar requires 6 chords and 10 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Penny Arcade uses these transitions most often: C → F (13), F → C (7), and G → C (7). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with G - C chord transition.
1. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
2. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
3. F → D7 chord transition
To move from F to D7;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
4. D7 → G chord transition
To move from D7 to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
5. G → F chord transition
To move from G to F;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
6. F → Em chord transition
To move from F to Em;
- While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
7. Em → G chord transition
To move from Em to G;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Place index finger on A string fret 2.
8. G → G7 chord transition
To move from G to G7;
- Keep index finger on A string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 1.
9. G7 → C chord transition
To move from G7 to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
10. Em → C chord transition
To move from Em to C;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on B string fret 1.
Penny Arcade chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Penny Arcade.
- Penny Arcade includes 50 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Penny Arcade contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Penny Arcade connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
- C → G: 35%
- C → F: 16%
After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).- F → C: 40%
- F → G: 21%