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Song Notes by David Pots

🎸 Simplifying "Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens — Fingerstyle Riff Included!

Published 29 days ago • 1 min read

Hey there, Reader! I'm excited to share a brand new lesson teaching Moonshadow — the Cat Stevens classic from 1971. I originally planned to have this one ready for the recent eclipse, but it needed a bit more time in the oven. I'm very happy how things came out, and trust you'll enjoy!

This song may seem simple on the surface, but it’s quite tricky in a few parts — the fingerstyle riff and quick chord changes in particular. But fear not, as I’ll walk you through things step by step — in a way that still captures the essence of Cat Stevens’ playing, while being much easier to play. Even if you’re only looking for a campfire easy-strum version, I’ve got you covered.

Here's what I teach in this new lesson:

  • 0:00 Playthrough & Lesson Overview
  • 1:43 Verse
  • 5:06 Chorus
  • 9:07 Add'l Strumming Tips
  • 17:00 Intro Riff - Basics
  • 22:07 Intro Riff - Full Tab
  • 28:47 Reimagined Intro Riff
  • 29:41 Final Tips & Advice

For all my bonus content, including print-friendly practice notes and some zoomed-in slow playthrough videos, head on over to the Moonshadow lesson page on my website:

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Looking for more Cat Stevens Lessons?

Back in my first couple years of learning guitar, he was one of my absolute favorites — and I can't tell you how happy I am to add another one of his songs to my lesson library. Here's the other Cat Stevens songs in my lesson library:

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Other Favorites from 1971

I'm a total sucker for the music released in the first few years of the 1970s... so want to share a few other picks from my lesson library. Video tutorials and any bonus content I've made for these is available via the links below:


As always, I hope you all enjoy! Special thanks to all of you who have requested & patiently awaited this song. Remember, you can always reply to this email with any suggestions, questions, or song requests you may have — I keep track of 'em all, and always love hearing what lessons you'd like to see next.

Until next time!

✌️ David

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PS – Thanks for being a Premium supporter of Song Notes! Here's a few handy links for this lesson:

  • ​Download my print-friendly practice notes
  • ​View the lyric & chord sheet I recommend
  • ​Join the discussion for this lesson in the community forum

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Song Notes by David Pots

Learn to play guitar with weekly video lessons & print-friendly guides! Learn your favorite songs & techniques with step-by-step tutorials that actually explain how to get from here to there.

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