Peter, Paul and Mary - Lemon Tree Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A,D,E keys to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram
[Opening]
When [C]I was [G7]just a [C]lad of ten, my father [G7]said to [C]me,
“Come here and [G7]take a [C]lesson from the [G7]lovely lemon [C]tree.”
“Don’t [F]put your [C7]faith in [F]love, my boy,” my father [C7]said to [F]me,
“I fear you’ll [C7]find that [F]love is like the lovely [C7]lemon [F]tree.”
[chorus]
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
[verse 2]
One [C]day be[G7]neath the [C]lemon tree, my love and [G7]I did [C]lie,
A girl so [G7]sweet that [C]when she smiled, the stars rose [G7]in the [C]sky.
We [F]passed that [C7]summer [F]lost in love, beneath the [C7]lemon [F]tree,
The music [C7]of her [F]laughter hid my father’s [C7]words from [F]me.
[chorus]
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
[Closing]
One [C]day she [G7]left with[C]out a word, she took a[G7]way the [C]sun.
And in the [G7]dark she [C]left behind, I knew what [G7]she had [C]done.
She [F]left me [C7]for a[F]nother, it’s a common [C7]tale but [F]true,
A sadder [C7]man, but [F]wiser now, I sing these [C7]words to [F]you.
[chorus]
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
How to play Lemon Tree on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Peter, Paul and Mary - Lemon Tree on guitar requires 4 chords and 3 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.
Lemon Tree uses these transitions most often: C → G7 (18), G7 → C (18), and C7 → F (12). 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 - G7 chord transition.
1. C → G7 chord transition
To move from C to G7;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
2. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
3. F → C7 chord transition
To move from F to C7;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Lift your pinky from D string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
Lemon Tree chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Lemon Tree.
- Lemon Tree includes 66 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Lemon Tree contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Lemon Tree 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 → G7: 2%
After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).- G7 → C: 69%