“Here Comes the Sun” is George Harrison’s 1969 masterpiece from Abbey Road — written on a spring day in Eric Clapton’s garden, and now one of the most-streamed Beatles songs of all. It builds naturally on the A, D, and E family of chords, so if you’ve been playing songs like “Three Little Birds,” you already have most of what you need.
The verses and choruses move between A, D, E7, and B7. The one wrinkle is the quick turnaround under “It’s alright,” which briefly touches Bm — and there’s an easy substitute if that barre isn’t ready yet.
The Chords You’ll Need
Main chords (verses & choruses)
Bridge Chords
Chord Chart
Intro A D E7 x2 Chorus 1 A Here comes the sun (Du du du du) D B7 Here comes the sun And I say A D A Bm A E7 It's alright Verse 1 A Little darling D E7 It's been a long cold lonely winter A Little darling D E7 It feels like years since it's been here Chorus 2 A Here comes the sun (Du du du du) D B7 Here comes the sun And I say A D A Bm A E7 It's alright Verse 2 A Little darling D E7 The smiles returning to the faces A Little darling D E7 It seems like years since it's been here Chorus 3 A Here comes the sun (Du du du du) D B7 Here comes the sun And I say A D A Bm A E7 It's alright Bridge C G D A E7 Sun, sun, sun, here it comes x6 Verse 3 A Little darling D E7 I feel that ice is slowly melting A Little darling D E7 It seems like years since it's been clear Chorus 4 A Here comes the sun (Du du du du) D B7 Here comes the sun And I say A D A Bm A E7 It's alright Chorus 5 A Here comes the sun (Du du du du) D B7 Here comes the sun And I say A D A Bm A E7 It's alright
About the bridge
The “Sun, sun, sun, here it comes” section is the only place C and G appear, and its
rhythm famously refuses to sit in a steady four-count (based on triplets instead). Don’t try to count it on paper —
listen to the record a few times and let your ear lead. For the curious:
Harrison played the original with a capo on the 7th fret using D-shaped chords; the
open A shapes here land in the same key.
Practice Tips
- The verses are just A → D → E7. If you’ve played “Three Little Birds,” the first two changes are already under your fingers.
- Drill the “It’s alright” turnaround — D, A, Bm, A, E7 — as a single unit. Five chords go by quickly, and it comes back after every chorus.
- D → B7 at the end of each “Here comes the sun” is the song’s most distinctive change. Practice it slowly on its own; B7 is the newest shape here for most players.
- Keep the strumming light and bright. This is a song about relief after a long winter, it should feel like it’s lifting, not pushing. In the spirit of keeping it light, this is a great song to begin experimenting with some fingerpicking patterns.