Welcome to my guitar lesson and chordsheet of 60s classic California Dreamin by the Mamas and Papas. California Dreamin was written by John and Michelle Phillips and first performed by The Mamas & the Papas, released in 1965. It’s a classic folk-rock song known for its iconic harmonies and wistful, melancholic melody.
Why it works on guitar
This song is ideal for early intermediate players. To play the song in the original key, you need a capo on the 4th fret. The song has the chords Am, E, E7, C, F and G. It has a fairly fast 4/4 strumming rhythm.
In this lesson
First we look at how you can play the notes on the intro, then we’ll go through the chords used in the song and focus on the strumming pattern, paying attention to keeping it even and expressive while supporting the song’s reflective feel.
California Dreamin’ guitar lesson-
California Dreamin’ chord sheet-
Copyright & educational use notice
This chord and lyric display is the author’s own interpretation of the song and is provided for educational purposes only, to support online guitar lessons.
Lyrics are shown solely to demonstrate song structure, timing and chord placement. We do not provide downloadable or printable lyric or chord charts, and this material is not intended for redistribution.
