Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords F, C, Am, G, Em, E7, Fadd9 Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C Em Am F
C G Am F Fadd9
C Em F C
Oooo, oooo, oooo
F E7 Am F
Oooo, oooo, oooo
C Em
Somewhere over the rainbow
F C
Way up high
F C
And the dreams that you dream of
G Am F
Once in a lullaby aayy
C Em
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow
F C
Blue birds fly
F C
And the dreams that you dream of
G Am F
Dreams really do come trueueueu ooh ooh ooh
C
Someday I'll wish upon a star
G Am F
Wake up where the clouds are far behind, meee
C
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
G
High above the chimney tops
Am F
That's where, you'll find me
C Em
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow
F C
Blue birds fly
F C
And the dream that you dare to
G Am F
Oh why, oh why can't I I I, ah ah ay
C
Someday I'll wish upon a star
G Am F
Wake up where the clouds are far behind, meee
C
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
G
High above the chimney tops
Am F
That's where, you'll find me
C Em
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow
F C
Blue birds fly
F C
And the dream that you dare to
G Am F
Oh why, oh why can't I I I, ah ah ay
C Em F C
Oooo, oooo, oooo
F E7 Am F
Oooo, oooo, oooo
End of song Play again?
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C and ends on F. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = G# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because it opens on C, C is heard 22 times against 12 for Am and the major V chord points straight at Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 22× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | 7× |
| V7/vi | E7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 2× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 24× |
| IV | Fadd9 | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C · G | 1× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 9× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 12× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 12× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 22× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | 7× |
| V7 | E7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B · D | 2× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 24× |
| VI | Fadd9 | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C · G | 1× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 9× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 7 different chords appear 77 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am.
Chord movement
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×20
- G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×9
- E7 Am CV7/vi → visecondary resolution AmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×2
- Fadd9 C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×1
- Em Am Ciii → vi Amv → inatural-minor cadence ×1
The move to watch is F → C, heard 20 times. From the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Am side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When E7 comes, swap the scale's G for G#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on C, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are F, C, Am, G; read them as IV–I–vi–V in C or VI–III–i–VII in Am. E7 is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on F → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. It closes on F, letting the C side have the last word.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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