Get ready to worship with these chord charts for the beloved hymn “How Great Thou Art” in 5 different keys! Perfect for piano or guitar players, these How Great Thou Art chords will help you lead your congregation in singing this timeless classic.
How Great Thou Art is such a beloved hymn. There are so many different ways to play it, chords to use, etc.
The charts I’ve provided in this post will be in a PDF document, or available for viewing right on the website. You can choose between 5 keys: C, D, E, F, or G major!
Keep reading for tips and information on different versions of this hymn, or scroll to the bottom for chord charts (on site & PDF).
This hymn is so popular, there must be a thousand different ways to arrange the chords! I’ve seen versions that stick to the bare basics, and then I’ve seen versions that go literally all out, with intense, captivating harmonies.
If that isn’t already enough, there are also different ways you can arrange the rhythm of this song. Some versions add space between the lines; others change up the placement of where the chords fall.
In these chord charts, we will use a fairly simple progression, with a few “extra” chords compared to the original hymn. I always have to spice things up at least a little. 😉
In my arrangement, verse 1 is the simplest. Verse 2 & 4 are both similar, with a few extra chords.
Verse 3 is the only unique verse. It uses a pedal tone to switch things up a bit. This part is perfect for playing softly to create some dynamic differences.
The chorus is the same throughout. For the first line, it starts on a I chord, passes through the iii minor chord, then goes to IV and I. I really like the way this sounds. It’s not too complicated, but still beautiful!
The rest of the chorus includes some V chords, a V7 over the 3rd (i.e. G7/B), and also a ii minor at the end.
Let’s talk about some tips for using the chord charts to play on piano and guitar! You can easily improvise and make it your own in lots of ways.
A good way to start playing How Great Thou Art on the piano is to play the specified chord in your right hand, along with the root of the chord in your left hand.
But that is just the baseline—you can improvise so much in this song! You can figure out the melody, do fills, try out different inversions, etc.
For the left hand, you can also do a pattern of root-5th-root, or root-5th-3rd. (“Root” refers to the bottom of a root position triad).
On guitar or ukulele, there are a variety of strumming patterns you can use for How Great Thou Art. People change it up all the time! I recommend finding some versions on YouTube and paying attention to all the variations.
TIP: Also, if you are unfamiliar with slash chords (i.e. D/F#, G/D) here is the rule of thumb to remember: you can always simplify it by just playing the chord on the left—D, or G in the above examples. It is easier for guitarists to get away with this because it isn’t quite as noticeable!
Without further ado, let’s get to the chord charts! Below you will find chord charts in 5 different keys.
You can view ALL of these directly on this website through the images, OR you can download a PDF that includes all the versions, perfect for using on a Sunday morning.
C Major is very easy to play in, and it is also close to the original key the hymn was written in—B flat! In my opinion, it is easy enough to sing, but just on the brink of being too high (as a female).
D is another great key for How Great Thou Art, but also a bit high for females (the top note being a high F#).
In E Major, this hymn is even higher, obviously. But I’ve heard recordings of it with men singing, and it works great for the women to do harmony! Women can also go down the octave, but it may be a little low for some.
Once you get to F major, it can work good because the women can go down an octave rather than singing in the clouds, LOL!
I think G major is my favorite alternative (as a female) to the classic C or Bb major. It’s not too low on the verses, and not even close to being too high on the chorus! Plus, it really does sound beautiful in this key.
Ready to download all 5 of these chord charts? Simply click the button below!
If you only need one of the keys, just print out that one page. But you’ll still have the other keys just in case.
I hope this is helpful!
If you read sheet music and you want to play this hymn in a more structured way, here is my How Great Thou Art sheet music. It comes in both an easy & intermediate version!
And here are more chord charts you might like:
Lastly, here is a list of best Easter hymns!
How Great Thou Art chords are simple and easy to play on piano, guitar, and other instruments. This beloved hymn is great for congregational worship or your own personal time with the Lord. I hope you enjoy the chord charts. Please share this post on social media so more people can use them!
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