Learn Space Oddity On Guitar 🚀

This is a song loads of people love singing along to! Especially that countdown part, you can't help but sing aloud! It's fair to say this is one of Bowie's many musical masterpieces.

In this lesson, we'll learn everything you need to play Space Oddity by David Bowie on the guitar. This is a cool song with loads of exciting chords and rhythms to explore. It's just all kinds of awesome! And there are loads of barre chords in there, so it's an excellent suit for Grade 4+ guitar players.

We'll explore a few of Bowie's musical quirks, including the way he plays and an easier version. We'll start with the intro then approach the song in different bits. :)

How To Play Space Oddity On Guitar

The first chord you'll play is an F major 7 with an E bass. This is an unusual one - so practice it alone a few times if you need it! You'll be playing it a few times in the songs, so make sure you're ace with it.

You'll also encounter an F minor, which is one of the more challenging barre chords. But it's worth learning if you really dig this song and want to pay homage to Bowie.

🚨 Not quite hip with barre chords yet? Check out my guide on how to nail Easy Barre chords.

Certain chord progressions will be quite tense, but that's part of the song's character! There are parts of the song that fade and settle in interesting ways, and you can apply different variations to achieve them! There's a great rhythm pattern that is not too difficult, so first let’s explore that.

Space Oddity Guitar Rhythm

If you're a David Bowie fan and want to nail the rhythm down like the record - make sure you're familiar with original recording loads. You can add in and take out some strums and accent different parts to get it accurate. But you can also approach with a basic pattern, then allow it to morph it however you feel like.

This will be in a 16th note strumming time, and you'll want to make sure your hand is constantly moving up and down. Don't let it stop! It's essential to plat a more challenging pattern like this one! It's also helpful to write down the pattern to follow it. :)

Practice the strumming pattern on its own first, slow down the tempo and focus on getting the right feel of the song! A great way of doing this is by muting the chords. It'll give you a good sense of the rhythm, with less distraction. :)

Get full Tabs, lyrics, and chords for this Space Oddity and 600+ more with the JustinGuitarTabs! :)