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Harry Belafonte - Island in the Sun Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, F, G7, Am, Dm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to D,G keys to play this song with easier chords.

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]This is my island [F]in the sun
Where my [G7]people have toiled since [C]time begun
[Am]I may sail on [Dm]many a sea
Her [C]shores will always be [G7]home to [C]me

[chorus]
[C]Oh island [Dm]in the sun [G7]willed to me by my [C]father’s hand
[Am]All my days I will [F]sing and praise
Of your [G7]forest waters your [C]shining sands [G7] [C]

[verse 2]
[C]As morning breaks the [F]heaven on high
[G7]I lift my heavy load [C]to the sky
[C]Sun comes down with a [Dm]burning glow
[C]Mingles my sweat with the [G7]earth be[C]low

[chorus]
[C]Oh island [Dm]in the sun [G7]willed to me by my [C]father’s hand
[Am]All my days I will [F]sing and praise
Of your [G7]forest waters your [C]shining sands [G7] [C]

[verse 3]
[C]I see woman on [F]bended knee,
[G7]Cutting cane for her [C]family
[Am]I see man [Dm]at the water side,
[C]Casting nets at the [G7]surging [C]tide

[chorus]
[C]Oh island [Dm]in the sun [G7]willed to me by my [C]father’s hand
[Am]All my days I will [Dm]sing and praise
Of your [G7]forest waters your [C]shining sands

[Closing]
[C]I hope the day will [F]never come
[G7]That I can’t awake to the [C]sound of a drum
[Am]Never let me miss [Dm]carnival
With caly[C]pso songs philo[G7]sophi[C]cal

[chorus]
[C]Oh island [Dm]in the sun [G7]willed to me by my [C]father’s hand
[Am]All my days I will [Dm]sing and praise
Of your [G7]forest waters your [C]shining sands

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistHarry Belafonte
AlbumBelafonte Sings of the Caribbean
GenresFolk, Pop
Year1957
KeyC

How to play Island in the Sun on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Harry Belafonte - Island in the Sun on guitar requires 5 chords and 8 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Island in the Sun uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (18), C → Am (7), and C → G7 (6). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - F chord transition.

1. C → F chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from C to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
C to F

2. F → G7 chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

To move from F to G7;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
F to G7

3. G7 → C chord transition

Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from G7 to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
G7 to C

4. C → Am chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

To move from C to Am;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
C to Am

5. Am → Dm chord transition

To move from Am to Dm;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.

6. Dm → C chord transition

To move from Dm to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

7. Dm → G7 chord transition

To move from Dm to G7;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.

8. Am → F chord transition

To move from Am to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

Island in the Sun chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Island in the Sun.

  • Island in the Sun includes 63 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Island in the Sun contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Island in the Sun connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → F: 16%
    • C → Am: 10%
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.