California Dreamin Chords & Guitar Lesson
Welcome to my California Dreamin chords and chart by The Mamas and The Papas.
This is a great songs and we are going to be making the chords a bit easier to play by using a Capo at the 4th fret. If you didn’t use a capo, you would have to play mostly barre chords to get through this song.
You’re welcome 😉
We still have an F chord to content with, but you can always use the Fmaj7 chord to get around that one.
Jump to:
California Dreamin Strumming Patterns:
Easy Strumming:
1 2 + 3 4+
D DU D DU
Optional Strumming:
1 2+ 3 + 4+
DDU UDU
Now there are a lot of split measures in this song and a lot of chords switching on up strums. You don’t have to change your chords on the up strum, but that’s what I hear in the song. Something I find myself doing is:
Am G F F G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D DU D DU U DU D DU
Intro Picking Pattern:
California Dreamin Guitar Lesson:
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California Dreamin Chord Chart:
Verse:
All the leaves are brown
| Am G| | F G| Esus4 |E F|
( All the leaves are brown) and the sky is gray (and the sky is gra ay)
I’ve been for a walk
|C E| |Am F| Esus4 E
(I've been for a walk) on a winter's day (on a winter’s day)
I’d be safe and warm
|Am G| | F G| Esus4 E
( I'd be safe and warm) if I was in L.A. (If I was in L.A.)
California dreamin
|Am G| | F G | Esus4 Esus4
California dreamin' on such a winter's da-a-a-a-a-ay
Verse:
|Am G| |F G | E E7
Stopped into a church I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees
|F G| |E Am| F Esus4
got down on my knees And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)
| Am G| | F
You know the preacher likes the cold (Preacher likes the cold)
G| E E7
He knows I'm gonna stay (Knows I'm gonna stay)
|Am G| | F
California dreaming (California dreaming)
G | Am E
On such a winter's day
Flute Solo:
Am Am C C |E7 Am| | F Esus4| Esus4
|Am G| |Am G| Esus4 E7
|Am G| |F G| Esus4 Esus4
Verse:
All the leaves are brown
| Am G| | F G| Esus4 |E F|
( All the leaves are brown) and the sky is gray (and the sky is gra ay)
I’ve been for a walk
|C E| |Am F| Esus4 E
(I've been for a walk) on a winter's day (on a winter’s day)
|Am G | | F
If I didn’t tell her (if I didn’t tell her)
G| E7 E
I could leave today (I could leave today)
|Am G| |F
California Dreamin' (California dreaming)
G| | Am G| |F
on such a winter's day California dreaming
G | | Am G| | F
on such a winter's day (California dreaming)
G | | Am G| | F
on such a winter's day (California dreaming)
G| E Am (hold)
on such a winter's day . . .