How to Play California Dreaming by The Mamas and The Papas Chord on Guitar
California Dreaming is a classic folk rock song by The Mamas and The Papas, released in 1965. The song features a catchy melody, a distinctive flute solo, and a memorable chorus that evokes the longing for sunny California. In this article, we will show you how to play California Dreaming on guitar using chords, tabs, and strumming patterns.
Chords
The song is in the key of A minor, and uses a capo on the fourth fret to make the chords easier to play. The chords you will need are:
[Intro] e|----------------------0-1-0-----------------------------| B|------0----3-1-0----1-------3-1------3-1-0------3-------| G|----2-------------2----------------2-------2-0--2-------| D|--2-----2------------------------2--------------0-------| A|------------------------------------------------2-------| E|------------------------------------------------0-------| [Verse 1] Am G F G Esus4 E F All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray (All the leaves are brown) (and the skies are grey ey) C E Am F Esus4 E I've been for a walk on a winter's day (I've been for a wa-a-a-alk) (On a winter's day) Am G F G Esus4 E I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A. (I'll be safe and warm) (If I was in L.A.) Am G F G Esus4 California dreamin' on such a winter's da-a-a-a-a-ay (California dreamin) [Verse 2] Am G F G Esus4 E Stopped in to a church I passed along the way F C E Am F Esus4 E Well I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray E Am G F You know the preacher liked the cold G Esus4 E He knows I'm gonna stay Am G F G Esus4 E California dreamin' on such a winter's day [Instrumental] Play this while the flute plays: Am (three and a half bars) F (half a bar) e|-0-0-0-0-0-0---0--0--0--0--0--0-----| B|-1-1-1-1-1-1---0-h1--3--1-p0--1-----| G|-2-2-2-2-2-2---2--2--2--2--2--2->>>>| D|-2-2-2-2-2-2---2--2--2--2--2--2-----| A|-0-0-0-0-0-0---0--0--0--0--0--0-----| E|------------------------------------| then (still the flute playing) C E7 Am F E7sus4 E7 Am G F G E7sus4 E7 Am G F G E7sus4 E Am G F G Esus4 E All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray F C E Am F Esus4 E I've been for a walk on a winter's day Am G F G Esus4 E If I didn't tell her I could leave today [Outro] Am G F G Am California dreamin' on such a winter's day Am G F G Am California dreamin' on such a winter's day Am G F G Fmaj7 Am California dreamin' on such a winter's day
Tabs
The song begins with a distinctive intro riff that is played on an acoustic guitar. You can play it with one or two guitars, depending on your preference. Here is the tablature for the intro riff, arranged for one guitar:
e|----------------------0-1-0-----------------------------|
B|------0----3-1-0----1-------3-1------3-1-0------3-------|
G|----2-------------2----------------2-------2-0--2-------|
D|--2-----2------------------------2--------------0-------|
A|------------------------------------------------2-------|
E|------------------------------------------------0-------|
And here is the tablature for the intro riff, arranged for two guitars:
Guitar 1:
e|----------------------0-1-0-----------------------------|
B|------0----3-1-0----1-------3-1------3-1-0------3-------|
G|----2-------------2----------------2-------2-0--2-------|
D|--2-----2------------------------2--------------0-------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|
Guitar 2:
e|--------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----------|
You can find more tabs and variations for the intro riff and other parts of the song at Ultimate Guitar.
Strumming
The song has a simple strumming pattern that consists of downstrokes and upstrokes. The basic pattern is:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
D D U D U D U
You can accentuate the second and fourth beats to give it more groove. You can also add some palm muting or percussive strums to create more dynamics. Here is an example of how to apply the strumming pattern to the first verse:
Am G F G Esus4 E F
e|---0---0---3---3---1---1---3---3---0---0---0---0---1---1---|
B|---1---1---3---3---1---1---3---3---0---0---0---0---1---1---|
G|---2---2---4---4---2---2---4---4---2---2---1---1---2---2---|
D|-2-----2-5-----5-3-----3-5-----5-2-----2-2-----2-3-----3-x-|
A|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
E|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-0-----0-0-----0---------x-|
C E Am F Esus4 E
e|---0---0---0---0---x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--|
B|---1-h3-p1-p0-h1-p01-h3-p10-h1-p01-h3-p10-h1-p01-h3-p10-h1-p01|
G|-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02-h02>
D|-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23-h23|
A|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x--|
E|-x-x-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------------------|
Conclusion
California Dreaming is a fun and easy song to play on guitar, and a great way to practice your chords, tabs, and strumming. You can find more resources and tips on how to play the song online, or you can try to improvise your own version. Either way, we hope you enjoy playing this classic tune and dreaming of sunny California.
