Ben E. King - Stand By Me Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
[intro]
[G] [G] [Em] [Em]
[C] [D] [G] [G]
[Opening]
When the night [G] has come [G] [Em] and the land is dark[Em]
And the mo- [C]on is the on- [D]ly light we'll [G]see [G]
No, I wo - [G]n't be af- [G]raid, no, I [Em]won't be af[Em]raid
Just as [C]long as you st-[D]and, stand by [G]me So [G]darlin', darlin'
[verse 2]
[G]Stand by me,[G] oh, [Em]stand by [Em]me
Oh, [C]stand, [D] stand by me,[G] stand by me [G]
[verse 3]
If the sky [G] that we look up[G]on [Em] should tumble and [Em]fall
Or the mount-[C]ains should [D]crumble to the [G]sea [G]
I won't cry, [G] I won't cry,[G] no, I [Em]won't shed a [Em]tear
Just as long [C] as you stand,[D] stand by [G]me And [G]darling, darling
[verse 4]
[G]Stand by me,[G] oh, [Em]stand by [Em]me
Oh, [C]stand now, [D] stand by me,[G] stand by me [G]
[verse 5]
[G] [G] [Em] [Em]
[C] [D] [G] [G]
[G] [G] [Em] [Em]
[C] [D] [G] [G]Darling, darling
[verse 6]
[G]Stand by me,[G] oh, [Em]stand by [Em]me
Oh, [C]stand now, stand [D]by me, stand [G]by me
When[G]ever you're in trouble won't you
[G]Stand by me,[G] oh, [Em]stand by [Em]me
Oh, [C]stand now, oh, [D]stand, stand by[G] me
[Closing]
(fade out)
How to play Stand By Me on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Ben E. King - Stand By Me on guitar requires 4 chords and 4 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.
Stand By Me uses these transitions most often: C → D (11), D → G (11), and Em → C (11). 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 - Em chord transition.
1. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
2. 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.
3. C → D chord transition
To move from C to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
4. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
Stand By Me chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Stand By Me.
- Stand By Me includes 44 chord transitions, 4 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Stand By Me contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Stand By Me connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
- G → Em: 9%
After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (18%).- Em → C: 26%