Get the ukulele chords for Somewhere Over the Rainbow and learn to strum like Iz in this newly updated strumming video tutorial below.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s hit is a “must-know” song for ukulele players, and in this lesson, I’m going to break it down for you!

Let’s jump in!

For your convenience, this song lesson is divided into four main sections.

1. Discover the Magic About the Song
2. Learn These Ukulele Chords to Play “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
3. Figure Out How to Strum “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (Video Tutorial)
4. Get the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” Ukulele Chords Chart

About the Song

Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful is the most influential song performed on ukulele in the last 50 years.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (aka “Iz”) recorded the medley live in 1988 one late night at three o’clock in the morning at a studio in Honolulu. The song was recorded in just a single take but it wasn’t heard until it was released on Iz’s solo album Facing Future five years later in 1993, just a few years before his death in 1997.

Movies like Meet Joe Black, 50 First Dates, Finding Forrester, and popular TV shows like Scrubs and So You Think You Can Dance have helped draw attention to this song making it the most famous Hawaiian song of all time.

Iz’s performance features a warm, energetic ukulele strum and singing that glides effortlessly between soulful falsetto and full voice. He performed Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful in low G ukulele tuning to produce a deeper, warmer tone from the ukulele.

Because Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful is played with beginner-friendly ukulele chords, new players will find it’s an approachable and fun song to learn. However, the strumming rhythm can be challenging for new players. I provide a newly updated strumming tutorial in the video below, but if you’re a complete beginner, I recommend starting with the free ukulele lesson book Your First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some where I teach you how to play three extremely versatile strumming patterns that provide a perfect foundation to play this song, especially if you’re new to playing ukulele.

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Playing songs like this one is always easier with the right foundations.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Ukulele Chords

There are 8 ukulele chords you need to know to play Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World: C, Em, Am, G, F, Fadd9, E7, and Dm.

Learn and practice the following chords to play this song.

I suggest learning the specific chord voicings below that IZ used in his performance.

To play a C chord, place the ring finger on the 3rd fret of the bottom A-string and let the top three strings ring open.

To play an Am chord, place the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the top G-string and let the bottom three strings ring open.

To play a G chord, place the index finger on the 2nd fret of the C-string, ring finger on the 3rd fret of the E-string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the bottom A-string and let the top G-string ring open.

To play an F chord, place the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the top G-string and index finger on the 1st fret of the E-string. Let the other two strings ring open.

To play an E7 chord, place the index finger on the 1st fret of the top G-string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the C-string, and ring finger on the 2nd fret of the bottom A-string. Let the E-string ring open.

To play a Dm chord, place the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the top G-string, ring finger on the 2nd fret of the C-string, and index finger on the 1st fret of the E-string. Let the bottom A-string ring open.

How to Play Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World (Updated Strumming Tutorial)

I’m pleased to share a newly updated video tutorial for Over the Rainbow!

The chords for this song might be beginner-friendly but Iz’s strumming is no small feat. Watch the video to learn exactly how to strum this song.

In the video, I take a deep dive into the magic of Iz’s strumming. I reveal the amazing story behind Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World and teach you how to strum like Iz on your ukulele.

There’s more to this song than you might think!

If the pattern I show in the video is still too difficult, then I recommend using this even simpler strumming pattern instead.

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” Ukulele Chord Chart

Here are the ukulele chords to Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

Last updated on July 20, 2023.