Carpenters - Only Yesterday Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F# | G♭ chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar Em7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[D]After long enough of being [Em]alone
Every one must [A7]face their share of [D]loneliness
In my own time nobody [A7]knew the pain I was going [G]through
[Em]Waiting was all my [A7]heart could do
[verse 2]
[D]Hope was all I had until you [Em]came
Maybe you can’t [A7]see how much you [D]meant to me
You were the dawn breaking the [A7]night the promise of morning [G]light
[Em]Filling the world sur[A7]rounding me when I hold you
[verse 3]
[C]Baby baby feels like maybe things will be al[Em]right
[C]Baby baby your love’s made me free as the song [A7]singing forever
[D]Only yesterday when I was [Em]sad and I was [A7]lonely
[D]You showed me the way to leave the [Em]past and all it’s [A7]tears behind me
Tomorrow [F#]maybe even [Bm]brighter than today
Since [Em]I threw my [A7]sadness a[Em7]way, [A7]only yester[D]day
[Closing]
[D]I have found my home here in your [Em]arms
Nowhere else on [A7]earth I’d really rather [D]be
Life waits for us share it with [A7]me, the best is about to [G]be
[Em]And so much is left for [A7]us to see, When I hold you
How to play Only Yesterday on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Carpenters - Only Yesterday on guitar requires 8 chords and 11 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.
Only Yesterday uses these transitions most often: Em → A7 (9), A7 → D (7), and D → Em (5). 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 D - Em chord transition.
1. D → Em chord transition
To move from D to Em;
- While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
2. Em → A7 chord transition
To move from Em to A7;
- While playing Em, lift your ring finger from D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
3. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
4. A7 → G chord transition
To move from A7 to G;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
5. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
6. A7 → C chord transition
To move from A7 to C;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
7. C → Em chord transition
To move from C to Em;
- While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
8. A7 → F# chord transition
To move from A7 to F#;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to G string fret 3.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 4.
- Place pinky on D string fret 4.
9. F# → Bm chord transition
To move from F# to Bm;
- Keep index finger on E string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 4 to D string fret 4.
- Lift your pinky from D string fret 4 and place it on G string fret 4.
10. Bm → Em chord transition
To move from Bm to Em;
- While playing Bm, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.
11. A7 → Em7 chord transition
To move from A7 to Em7;
- While playing A7, lift your index finger from D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from B string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
Only Yesterday chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Only Yesterday.
- Only Yesterday includes 39 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Only Yesterday contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Only Yesterday connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After A7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (42%), D7 (18%), and Dm (12%).
- A7 → D: 42%
- A7 → G: 4%
After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).- Em → C: 26%
- Em → A7: 1%