Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Sometimes I look online for chords to songs, but usually find that although fake books and online sources give passable chords, they are often the vanilla versions (major chords, a seventh here and there, maybe a minor). So, I usually come up with my own.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow is a particularly interesting tune when played with the right chords, but surprisingly mundane otherwise. I've seen it listed in many places, but never like the chord progressions posted for it. So, for anyone interested, here's how I play the verse of the song, which is where the most interesting chord progressions are.

Fingerings for some of the less-obvious chords that I use are shown below.

• Although I listed the C7 as a C7 for clarity (above), it is probably more accurate to call it an Am7/Bb in context with the song.
• Note that on the Bb 9, I generally cover the 5th and 6th strings with my thumb because the nut makes it difficult to get a clear ring otherwise. In fact, when there's time within a song, I tend to finger any 9th chord using my thumb where possible, because it is usually easier to get a clean sound over using the more common fingering shown in the C9 chord above. For this, I'll cover the 5th and 6th strings with my thumb (T), the 4th string with my index finger (1) and the first through 3rd strings with my ring finger (3).
  

As a matter of taste, sometimes it works well to omit the C7 on the first verse, and save it for emphasis on the later ones. To omit, just stay on the C.

1. Bass walk down on the A string (5th string): C → B → A.  A simple Am works too.
2. Bass walk up on the E string (6th string): E → F# → G.
3. A simple Am works well here too. I tend to mix them up.
4. A Dm works here as well, but I prefer the Dm7.

Even more spice...

1. For a fuller sound, play the C chord as C/G as your taste dictates.
2. Replace the Dm7 over the word Once above with a regular Dm, but move to Dm7 on the next beat for an interesting transition into the G7.

By the way, it is important not to rush. The song should have a very slow, steady cadence with no up-strums.

If anyone has suggestions to make this even better, I'd like to hear about them.