CLICK HERE to access EXCLUSIVE CONTENT in my ‘BEYOND TABS’ guitar course
This lesson will teach you how to play the chords in measures 1 & 2 of Over the Rainbow. To listen to the Chord Tab for the whole song go to the CHORDS Tab video. You can learn the melody for measures 1 & 2 of the tune in the MELODY Measures 1 & 2 page. If you’ve already learned the melody and the chords for measures 1 & 2 of the tune, why not try the COMBINED ARRANGEMENT Measures 1 & 2 which mixes the melody of the tune with notes from the supporting chords.
Video script:
C chord
the first chord in this guitar song is a C chord
to play a C chord you put your
1st finger, on the 2nd string, 1st fret
2nd finger, on the 4th string, 2nd fret
3rd finger, on the 5th string, 3rd fret
You can find the Guitar Tab on the bottom of the video screen
now use the “p i m a” right hand picking pattern that we have just learned
the thumb, “p”, sounds the 5th string
the right hand index finger, “i”, sounds the 3rd string
the right hand middle finger, “m”, sounds the 2nd string
and the right hand 3rd finger, the ring finger “a”, sounds the 1st string
notice that we are not playing all of the notes that the left hand is holding down
this is ok
all the notes that are needed to be heard to make up the chord are being played
it’s best to learn how to hold down the full chords and get your hand used to the shapes
Am chord
the second chord is an Am chord
to play an Am chord you put your
1st finger, on the 2nd string, 1st fret
2nd finger, on the 4th string, 2nd fret
3rd finger, on the 3rd string, 2nd fret
notice that the only difference in the fingering between the Am chord and the C chord, is the left hand 3rd finger, which goes to the 3rd string, 2nd fret, from the 5th string, 3rd fret
we are going to use the same “p i m a” right hand picking pattern as we did with the C chord
“p” plays the 5th string
“i” plays the 3rd string
“m” plays the 2nd string
“a” plays the 1st string
Em chord
the third chord in these two measures of the progression is an Em chord
to play an Em chord you put your
2nd finger, on the 5th string, 2nd fret
and the 3rd finger, on the 4th string, 2nd fret
using the same right hand picking pattern, you’ll notice that for this chord we are not actually having to play any of the notes being held down
“p” plays the 6th string
“i” plays the 3rd string
“m” plays the 2nd string
and “a” plays the 1st string
the “p i m a” pattern is used for the first 2 beats of this measure, on the 3rd beat however, pluck all of the 4 strings together
C7 chord
To complete these over the rainbow guitar lesson notes, the last chord in these two measures of the progression is C7
to play a C7 chord you put your
1st finger, on the 2nd string, 1st fret
2nd finger, on the 4th string, 2nd fret
3rd finger, on the 5th string, 3rd fret
and 4th finger on the 3rd string, 3rd fret
the left hand 4th finger tends not to be used as much as the other fingers
it’s worthwhile to persevere with it however, as it’s good to have the use of it
as with the Em chord on the previous beat, play all 4 strings at the same time
“p” plays the 5th string
“i” plays the 3rd string
“m” plays the 2nd string
and “a” plays the 1st string
C Am Em C7
The arrangement of the chords in this lesson could easily sit with the title “Jazz Chords Lesson” or “Classical Guitar Lesson” and be interesting to players of both genres.