How to play “Fly Me to the Moon” on piano?

“Fly Me to the Moon” is one of the most iconic jazz songs. It’s a great choice for beginner pianists. In this step-by-step piano tutorial, we’ll show you an easy piano arrangement of “Fly Me to the Moon” that even novices can tackle. You’ll learn the piano notes, a simple way to play the chords and pro tips to make your performance shine.
The song was written by composer Bart Howard in 1954. The version you’re probably most familiar with is Frank Sinatra’s timeless recording. That’s the one we’ll be focusing on in this tutorial.
By the end of this article, you’ll be confidently playing this jazz classic on the piano. With Skoove as your guide, you’ll get interactive support to master this piano song at your own pace.

“Fly Me to the Moon” piano notes and chords

For this tutorial, we’ll use the key of C major, which keeps things beginner-friendly with mostly white keys. The melody flows step by step, so you don’t need to worry about big jumps at first.

Let’s break it down hand by hand.

Playing the notes with the right hand

Place your thumb (finger 1) on F and let your fingers rest naturally on G (2), A (3), B (4), and C (5). This five-finger position covers most of the melody in the opening phrases.
The first line, “Fly Me to the Moon”, descends smoothly:

C(5) – B(4) – A(3) – G(2) – F(1)

Play this slowly with your right hand, making sure each note is in time. You’ll notice this little pattern comes back in later phrases too.

Playing the notes with the left hand

While the right hand plays the tune, the left hand adds simple harmony. To keep it easy, we start with the root notes of each chord. Place your pinky (finger 5) on the C one octave below middle C. The main bass notes you’ll use are:
A (1) – D (4) – G (1) – C (1)

Play each bass note once at the start of the phrase and let it ring while the melody moves on top. Even this simple version will already sound like “Fly Me to the Moon”.

How to play “Fly Me to the Moon” on piano?

Now that you’ve seen the “Fly Me to the Moon” piano notes and chords broken down, let’s bring everything together. The video tutorial below shows you exactly how to play “Fly Me to the Moon” on piano from start to finish.
In the video, you’ll see both hands in action. Play along slowly with just one hand at first. Then, once you feel ready, add the other hand. The video makes it easy to pause and repeat each section until it feels smooth.
By the end, you’ll have the full song under your fingers, and you’ll be able to play one of the most iconic jazz standards with confidence.

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Practice tips for “Fly Me to the Moon”

Learning a jazz classic like “Fly Me to the Moon” can feel challenging at first, but with the right approach you’ll make steady progress. Here are some of Skoove’s best practice tips to help you play the song smoothly and with confidence:

1. Start at a comfortable tempo. Even if it sounds like a ballad, slow practice builds accuracy and muscle memory.
2. Practice the right-hand melody alone, then the left-hand chords. When each feels easy, combine them.
3. Say “1–2–3–4” as you play. Place the left-hand chord on beat 1 and play the melody above it in time with your counting. This keeps your rhythm steady.
4. If the “Fly Me to the Moon” piano chords feel too hard, just play the root note (like A for Am or G for G7). As we have seen, the song will still sound great.
5. Once the basics feel easy, try adding a gentle swing rhythm or a walking bass in the left hand for a more jazzy feel.

Do you know?

Did you know that “Fly Me to the Moon” wasn’t originally called that? When it was written in 1954 by Bart Howard, the title was In Other Words. The phrase “Fly Me to the Moon” was just the opening lyric. Audiences loved it so much that it eventually became the official title.

Fun fact

Frank Sinatra’s famous version was actually played by astronauts during the Apollo missions, making this jazz classic one of the first songs to “travel” to the Moon!

Ready to play beyond the Moon?

If you can play “Fly Me to the Moon”, you’ve already proven that jazz standards aren’t out of reach. Every song you learn makes the next one easier. Now that you’ve mastered this piece, try exploring other easy piano songs or practicing new chords to add more colour to your playing.
Whenever you’re ready, Skoove’s interactive tutorials are here to guide you through the next step whether that’s learning another classic, diving into pop favourites, or polishing your technique with interactive feedback. Keep the momentum going and let music become part of your daily routine.

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Author of this blog post:
Matthew Dickman

With over a decade of experience in music education Matthew holds a BA in Music from Paul McCartney’s LIPA and an MA in Composition from the University of Salford. Mathew has developed a distinctive compositional voice and approach to music theory education through his research and work in the music industry. Matthew’s writing for Skoove combines experience from orchestral and media composition, and as a gigging jazz musician, to create a wholistic and accessible pedagogy for musicians of any level. Away from music, he enjoys reading and exploring nature to expand his horizons and knowledge contributing to his holistic teaching style.