Santana - Moonflower - Guitar Tab

Moonflower

1977 5:00

Listen on Spotify

About Moonflower

Few guitarists make a single note say as much as Santana, and "Moonflower" is a prime example of that economy of expression. Running at 94 BPM in E minor on standard tuning, the piece sits at a mid-tempo groove that rewards feel over speed. The challenge here is not technical complexity but sustain, vibrato, and phrasing: making each note breathe and sing the way Carlos Santana does. Getting that vocal quality out of the lead lines means paying close attention to how long you hold bends and how you release them, details that are easy to rush. The Funk Rock foundation underneath the lead work also demands that your rhythm playing stay locked and fluid, never stiff. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the lead passages at a reduced speed so you can focus on matching the phrasing and vibrato before bringing the tempo back up. Tone matters here too: a clean to slightly overdriven sound with plenty of sustain will get you closest to the feel of the recording.

• The song is in E minor on standard tuning, so no retuning is needed, but nailing the expressive vibrato on the lead lines is the real hurdle.
• At 94 BPM the groove is unhurried, giving you space to focus on sustain and note release rather than picking speed.
• Practising the lead melody with slow-down looping helps isolate the subtle string bends and phrasing nuances that define the tone of the piece.