Fly Me To The Moon

Lesson Notes

Breaking it down

• Note-by-note breakdown:

  The melody breaks into 8 short phrases, one for each left-hand bass note — play the right-hand phrase in that row while the left hand holds its note underneath.

  Phrase	Left hand	Right hand
  1	A	C, B, A, G
  2	D	F, G, A, C
  3	G	B, A, G
  4	C	F, E, A
  5	F	G, F, E
  6	B	D, E, F
  7	E	A, A♭, F
  8	C	E, D, C

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• Practice tips:
  • Practice the melody with a relaxed, swinging feel rather than a strict rhythm — this is a jazz standard, not a march.
  • Learn the left-hand bass notes on their own first; they outline the chord progression.
  • Let the right-hand melody lead — keep the left hand supportive, not competing.
• History: Written by Bart Howard in 1954 as "In Other Words." Frank Sinatra's 1964 swing recording made it famous and tied it permanently to the Apollo Moon missions.