Over The Rainbow | Chords + Lyrics (capo 1)
Intro
| Gadd9 | Gadd9/D I Am11 | 6/4 D9sus4/A |
Chorus 1
| Gsus2 /F# | Em /D | Bm7b13 | G7 Amadd4 /B |
Somewhere over the rainbow,
| Cadd9 | Cm6 | Gmaj9 | G9 Amadd4 G/B |
way up high,
| C | Cm7 | Gadd9 G/F# | Em |
there’s a land that I’ve heard of once,
| Am13 | D7sus4 D/F# | Gadd9 | A7omit3 D/F# |
once in a lullaby.
Chorus 2
| Gadd9 /F# | Em | Bm7b13 | G7 Amadd4 /B |
Somewhere over the rainbow,
| C /A | Cm6 | Gmaj9 | G7sus2 Amadd4 G/B |
skies are blue.
| Cadd9 | Cm7 | Gadd9 G/F# | Em |
When the dreams that you dare to dream,
| Am13 | D7sus4 D/F# | Gadd9 | Am7 D/F# |
really do come true.
Verse 1
| Gadd9 | Gadd9 | Am11 | D/F# |
Someday I’ll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far
| Gmaj9 /F# | Emadd9 | Am7 | D6 D9sus4 |
behind me.
| Gadd9 | Gadd9 | F#7 | F#7 |
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, high above the chimney tops,
| Bm | Bm/Bb | Am7 | 7/4 D7/F# |
that’s where you’ll find me.
Solo
| 4/4 G Dadd4 | Cmaj13 | Bm | G9 |
| Cmaj7#11 | Cm13 | G | G7 |
| Cmaj7#11 | Cm13 | G D6add9/F# | Em9 |
| Am13 | 3/4 D7sus4 | 2/4 D6 | 4/4 Gadd9 | Am7 D/F# |
Verse 2
| Gadd9 | Gadd9 | Am11 | D/F# |
Someday I’ll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far
| Gmaj9 /F# | Emadd9 | Am7 | D6 D9sus4 |
behind me.
| Gadd9 | Gadd9 | F#7 | F#7 |
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, way above the chimney tops,
| Bm | Bm/Bb | Am7 | D7/F# | D7/F# |
that’s where you’ll find me.
Chorus 3
| G /F# | Em7 | Bm7 | G7 Am7add4 G/B |
Somewhere over the rainbow,
| Cadd9 | Cm6 | Gmaj9 | G9 Amadd4 G/B |
skies are blue.
| C | Cm7 | G G/F# | Em7 |
And the dreams that you dared to dream,
| Am13 | D7sus4 D/F# | Gadd9 | Gadd9/D |
they really do come true.
Outro
| Gadd9 | Gadd9/D | Am11 | D7sus4 |
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why,
| D7/F# | D7/F# | Cadd9 | Cadd9 | Ab | Ab | G |
oh why can’t I?
Over The Rainbow’s chords and melody
To understand how Eva Cassidy came to put together this incredible arrangement, we must first look at the basic structure of the actual song.
Here’s the super simple kids’ version, using the simplest possible chords.
And here’s the trad jazz version, closer to the original Judy Garland performance, although with fewer chords.
Eva Cassidy, doubles the number of bars and changes the melody drastically, looks like this in TAB.
In the course, we next start working on how Eva plays this, note-for-note.
Only by learning her arrangement note for note can we fully understand how to play and arrange Over The Rainbow’s chords, exactly like Eva did.
Every step is practiced slowly, fast, and at a free tempo with full TAB and practice loops.
It will take you six guitar lessons to achieve this. In the final two lessons, we practice Lydian in all shapes, this relates to the melody of Over The Rainbow.
Over The Rainbow’s 8 guitar lessons
To play Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy, exactly note-for-note, can only be achieved by breaking each section down, and practicing them as loops. This takes six lessons to complete.
For the final two lessons, we practice Lydian scale exercises.
In total, there are 8 step-by-step lessons for Over The Rainbow available. Here are links to each lesson in the course (members only):
- Step 1 – Vocal melody 3 ways & Chorus 1 guitar part
- Step 2 – Chorus 2 & 3
- Step 3 – Verses 1 & 2
- Step 4 – Solo
- Step 5 – Intro & Outro
- Step 6 – The complete song on one acoustic guitar
- Step 7 – Lydian, 2 master exercises
- Step 8 – Lydian, 3 master exercises
Over The Rainbow chords | Related pages
Five similar tunes
- Close To You chords
- At Last chords
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You chords
- Dream A Little Dream chords
- You’re All I Need To Get By chords
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen wrote over four hundred songs. His 1938 song Over The Rainbow was voted the twentieth century’s #1 song by the RIAA.
Nobody has had more songs represented in the Great American Songbook than Harold Arlen.
Harold Arlen on the web
Eva Cassidy
Eva Cassidy was an American guitar player and vocalist who didn’t reach fame until after she passed away on November 2nd ’96.
Four years later, an amateur recording of Eva playing Over The Rainbow in her local pub was played on Top of the Pops 2, a TV show in the U.K.
Eva Cassidy on the web
Advanced Acoustic Songs
These songs use big chord extensions and sometimes, unique and complex chords that incorporate open strings.
Study these in-depth and you will gain a complete understanding of the guitar fretboard, including how to build any scale, arpeggio, or chord.
