Stand By Me
Ben E. King
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No, I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me
So darling, darling
Stand by me, oh stand by me
Oh, stand, stand by me
Stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darling, darling
Stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now, stand by me
Stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now
Stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Won't you stand now
Oh, stand...
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How to play Stand By Me by Ben E. King on guitar
This is a great beginner song because the groove is steady, the harmony is easy to follow, and you can focus on keeping a calm, confident feel. At about 119 BPM, it sits in a comfortable pocket that helps you build timing without feeling rushed.
You can lean on the open shapes A, Dm, D, and E, while the barre shapes D#m, B, C#m, F#m, and F# ask for more hand strength and cleaner fretting. The main change to watch is the opening move A - D#m - B - A, since it jumps from an open shape into two barre chords and back again.
Start by looping that opening progression slowly until the switches feel smooth, then add the rest of the song one chord at a time. Once your hands know the shapes, bring the tempo up in small steps and keep your strums even so the song stays relaxed and steady.
Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.
Looking for more? Browse the full guitar song library or explore chord diagrams.
Tutorials & guides for "Stand By Me"
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