Dust in the Wind chords
by KansasSong Key: C Major
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 92 bpm
Guitar Tuning: Standard (E A D G B e)
Skill Level: Beginner / Intermediate
Chords: C, Cmaj7, Cadd9, D/F#, Dm7, F, F6, F/A, G, G/B, G/A, Asus2, Asus4, Am, Am/G
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Dust in the Wind
C Cmaj7 Cadd9 C Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2
Intro: 4/4 | - | - | - | - |
Cadd9 C Cmaj7 Cadd9 Am Asus2 Asus4 Am G/B
| | - | - | 1+2+ 3+4 + |
C G/B Am G Dm7 Am G/B
1. I close my eyes On-ly for a mo-ment and the mo-ment’s gone
C G/B Am G Dm7 Am
All my dreams Pass be-fore my eyes a cu-ri-o-si-ty
D/F# G Am Am/G D/F# G Am G
Chorus: Dust in the wind All they are is dust in the | wind / / |
C G/B Am G Dm7 Am G/B
2. Same old song Just a drop of wa-ter in an end-less sea
C G/B Am G Dm7 Am
All we do Crum-bles to the ground though we re-fuse to see
D/F# G Am Am/G D/F# G Am
Chorus: Dust in the wind All they are is dust in the wind...
Am G F F6 F
Instr: | (wind) | | (Oh) | - |
Am G F F6 F
| | | | - |
C Cmaj7 Cadd9 C Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2
| - | - | - | - |
Cadd9 C Cmaj7 Cadd9 Am Asus2 Asus4 Am G/B
| - | - | - | 1+2+ 3+4 + |
(Now)
C G/B Am G Dm7 Am G/B
3. Now don’t hang on No-thing lasts for-e-ver but the earth and sky
C G/B Am G Dm7 Am
It slips a - way And all your mon-ey won’t a-no-ther mi-nute buy
D/F# G Am Am/G D/F# G Am
Chorus: Dust in the wind All we are is dust in the wind...
D/F# G Am Am/G D/F# G Am
Chorus: Dust in the wind Ev’-ry-thing is dust in the (wind)...
Am Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2
|(wind) - | - (the | wind) - | - |
Asus4 Am Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2
‖: - | - | - :‖... repeat to fade Arrangement Details:
- Key Signature: C Major - no sharps or flats
- Time Signature: 4/4 — Four quarter-note beats per measure
- Tempo: Moderate Folk Style
- Metronome: ♩ = 92
- Voice Range: E4 - B5
| Chord Types | Formula | Chords |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 1-3-5 | C, F |
| Major 7th | 1-3-5-7 | Cmaj7 |
| Minor | 1-b3-5 | Am |
| Minor 7th | 1-b3-5-b7 | Dm7 |
| sus4 | 1-4-5 | Asus4 |
| sus2 | 1-2-5 | Asus2 |
| 6th | 1-3-5-6 | F6 |
| Extended Chord | 1-3-5-9 | Cadd9 |
| Slash Chords | - | Am/G, G/B, G/A, D/F#, F/A |
Beginner Guitarists:
- You might notice a few slash chords in this song — G/D, Am/G, and D/F#.
A slash chord simply means you play a different bass note than usual. The letter before the slash is the main chord (for example, G), and the note after the slash (like D in G/D) tells you which bass note to play.
If that sounds a bit tricky — don’t worry! You can just play the regular chords (G, Am, and D) instead.
The alternate bass notes mainly add a bit of color and smooth movement between chords, especially if you’re playing solo, but they’re not essential. - Cadd9 is a C major chord with an added 9th (D).
Formula: 1-3-5-7-9.
This is not to be confused with C9, which is a dominant chord — a C7 with an added 9th.
Formula: 1-3-5-b7-9.
So in short:- Cadd9 sounds bright and open — great for pop and acoustic styles.
- C9 has a bluesier, more jazzy sound because of the ♭7 note.
- 🎸 Before You Play
Make sure you can play all the chords cleanly and smoothly before starting this song — it moves at a fairly busy pace when it comes to chord changes.
The transitions between chords and their extensions are quite simple, often involving just the movement of one finger — adding or lifting it slightly:
C → Cmaj7 → Cadd9
Asus2 → Asus4 → Am → Asus2
OR
Am → Asus2 → Asus4 → Am
Practicing these short progressions first will help your hands flow naturally once you play the full song. - In the Guitar Tab below, you'll learn a picking pattern which occurs throughout the entire song.
Dust in the Wind TAB - Intro:
Song Details:
- Songwriter: Kerry Livgren
- Lyrics Begin: I close my eyes, Only for a moment and the moment’s gone.
- Genre: Soft rock, Pop rock
- Featured Artists: Kansas
- Single:
Recorded: 1977
Released: 1978
B-side: Paradox - Album: Point of Know Return
Recorded: June – July 1977
Released: October 1977 - Original band members: Steve Walsh (keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, vocals), Kerry Livgren (lead guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, vocals), Rich Williams (rhythm guitar), Dave Hope (bass, vocals), Phil Ehart (drums, percussion), Robby Steinhardt (violin, vocals).
You may also like:
| Song / Artist | Capo | Key | Chords |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Skies - Willie Nelson | - | Bm→Cm | Bm, BmM7, Bm7, Bm6, D, A7, F#7, D, F#7/C#, F#, G7 → Cm, CmM7 Cm7, Cm6, Eb, Bb7, Ab, Fm7 |
| Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez | +1 | Em | Em, Emadd9, Em/G, Em/A, G, Am, Am/B, Amadd9/E, Am7, B7, B7/D#, Bm7, C, D, Esus4, Fmaj7 |
| Fire And Rain - James Taylor | +3 | A | A, E, Em7, Em/A, D, D/C#, D/F#, G, Gmaj7, Bm7, Bm7/E |
| Landslide - Fleetwood Mac | +3 | C | C, Csus2, D7/F#, D5/A, Em, Em7, G/B, Am7, Am, |
| Ventura Highway - America | - | D | Dmaj7, Em7, F#m7, G, G6 |
