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David Bowie - Space Oddity Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Em, Am, D7, E7, F, Fm, Bb, G, A, Em7, D, E
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Fm chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-1-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar Fm chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-0-0-0Guitar Em7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]Ground control to Major [Em]Tom.
[C]Ground control to Major [Em]Tom
[Am]Take your [C]protein pills and [D7]put your helmet on
[C]Ground control to Major [Em]Tom
[C]Commencing countdown, engines [Em]on
[Am]Check ig[C]nition and may [D7]God’s love be with you

[verse 2]
[C]This is ground control to Major [E7]Tom
you’ve really made the [F]grade
And the [Fm]papers want to [C]know whose shirts you [F]wear,
Now it’s [Fm]time to leave the [C]capsule if you [F]dare
[C]This is Major Tom to ground con[E7]trol,
I’m stepping through the [F]door
And I’m [Fm]floating in the [C]most peculiar [F]way
And the [Fm]stars look very [C]different to[F]day
For [F]here am I [Em]sitting in a tin can,
[F]far above the [Em]world
[Bb]Planet Earth is [Am]blue and there’s [G]nothing I can [F]do

[interlude]
[C] [F] [G] [A] [A] [C] [F] [G] [A] [A]
[F] [Em7] [A] [A] [C] [C] [D] [D] [E] [E]

[verse 3]
[C]Though I’m passed one hundred thousand [E7]miles,
I’m feeling very [F]still
And I [Fm]think my spaceship [C]knows which way to [F]go,
Tell my [Fm]wife I love her [C]very much… She [F]knows.

[verse 4]
[G]Ground control to [E7]Major Tom:
Your [Am]circuit’s dead, there’s [C]something wrong.
Can you [D7]hear me Major Tom? Can you [C]hear me Major Tom?
Can you [G]hear me Major Tom? Can you

[Closing]
[F]Here am I [Em]floating round my tin can,
[F]far above the [Em]moon
[Bb]Planet Earth is [Am]blue and there’s [G]nothing I can [F]do

[outro]
[C] [F] [G] [A] [A] [C] [F] [G] [A] [A]
[F] [Em7] [A] [A] [C] [C] [D] [D] [E] [E]

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistDavid Bowie
AlbumSpace Oddity
GenresFunk, Rock
Year1969
KeyC

How to play Space Oddity on Guitar (Step-by-step)

David Bowie - Space Oddity on guitar requires 13 chords and 25 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.

Space Oddity uses these transitions most often: C → F (10), F → Fm (6), and Fm → C (6). 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 C - Em chord transition.

1. C → Em chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
C to Em

2. Em → Am chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

To move from Em to Am;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.
Em to Am

3. Am → C chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from Am to C;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
Am to C

4. C → D7 chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram

To move from C to D7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
C to D7

5. C → E7 chord transition

To move from C to E7;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 2.

6. E7 → F chord transition

To move from E7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

7. F → Fm chord transition

To move from F to Fm;

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 3.

8. Fm → C chord transition

To move from Fm to C;

  1. While playing Fm, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place middle finger on D string fret 2.

9. C → F chord transition

To move from C to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

10. F → Em chord transition

To move from F to Em;

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

11. Em → Bb chord transition

To move from Em to Bb;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 3.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on A string fret 1.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 3.

12. Bb → Am chord transition

To move from Bb to Am;

  1. While playing Bb, lift your pinky from B string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger on G string from fret 3 to fret 2.

13. Am → G chord transition

To move from Am to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.

14. G → F chord transition

To move from G to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

15. G → A chord transition

To move from G to A;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.

16. A → C chord transition

To move from A to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.

17. A → F chord transition

To move from A to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

18. F → Em7 chord transition

To move from F to Em7;

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger, ring finger, and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.

19. Em7 → A chord transition

To move from Em7 to A;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on B string fret 2.

20. C → D chord transition

To move from C to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

21. D → E chord transition

To move from D to E;

  1. Slide your index finger on G string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 2.

22. E → C chord transition

To move from E to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.

23. G → E7 chord transition

To move from G to E7;

  1. While playing G, lift your ring finger from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to A string fret 2.

24. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 2.

25. C → G chord transition

To move from C to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

Space Oddity chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Space Oddity.

  • Space Oddity includes 90 chord transitions, 25 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Space Oddity contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Space Oddity 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%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.