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Diamond, Neil - Sweet Caroline

Chords & Piano Lesson
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Hello! Below you'll find my "Sweet Caroline" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
 

This song by Neil Diamond is a crowd pleasing classic and is a LOT of fun to play and sing on piano.

Enjoy!

Lesson Video
Chord Chart

Sweet Caroline Piano Tutorial

Here's a piano tutorial video for Sweet Caroline:

Sweet Caroline Chords & Lyrics

[Intro]
F# X7
 
[Verse]
B                         E
  Where it began,   I can't begin to knowin'
B                                            F#
  But then I know it's growin' strong
B                            E
  Was in the spring,   then spring became the summer
B                                                     F#
  Who'd have believed you'd come along
 
[Pre-Chorus]
B          B6
   Hands,    touching hands
F#                     E                                     F#
   Reaching out,   touching me, touching you
 
[Chorus]
B                     (D# G#
Sweet Caroline
                                                F#
Good times never seemed so good
B                         (D# G#)
I've been inclined
                                   F#
To believe they never would
E    D#m7 C#m7
But now I'm
 
[Verse 2]
B                            E
   Look at the night,   and it don't seem so lonely
B                                  F#
   We fill it up with only two
B                           E
   And when I hurt,   hurting runs off my shoulder
B                                             F#
   How can I hurt when holdin' you
 
[Pre-Chorus]
B        B6
Warm,    touching warm
F#                     E                                    F#
   Reaching out,   touching me, touching you
 
[Chorus]
B                       (D# G#)
Sweet Caroline
F#
Good times never seemed so good
B                          (D# G#
I've been inclined
                                   F#
To believe they never would
E    D#m7 C#m7
Oh  no      no
 
[Instrumental]
F# X7
 
[Chorus]
B                       (D# G#
Sweet Caroline
                                                F#
Good times never seemed so good
B                    (D# G#)
Sweet Caroline                 
                                  F#
I believed they never could

Repeat and fade, or

E    D#m7 C#m7
Oh  no       no

B
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
Sweet Caroline Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "Sweet Caroline" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
 
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.  
 
3. Simplify if need be: "Sweet Caroline" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
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