Song chords
Sweet Caroline chords
Neil Diamond
Recorded in B, which is why the standard chart is capo 2 with A shapes. The verse barely moves, the pre-chorus climbs, and the chorus is three chords and a lot of deliberate silence.
Before you start
The chords you need.
5 shapes covers the whole song, fretted with the capo at fret 2. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Capo 2 with A shapes: A sounds as B, D as E, E as F# and F#m as G#m. The horn figure in the chorus falls in the gaps — the guitar stops for it rather than strumming through. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 125 bpm.
Verse
12 barsLong bars on the I and the IV; the bass walk supplies the movement.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Pre-Chorus
5 barsThe climb — the vi and the dominant seventh appear only here.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Chorus
4 barsThree chords, and the stops between them matter more than the strums.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
The pre-chorus is where the song actually happens, and it is the only place a minor chord appears. Play the verse sparse so the F#m in the climb has somewhere to arrive from.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Sweet Caroline was written and recorded by Neil Diamond, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Sweet Caroline in?
Sweet Caroline sounds in B Major. The common arrangement gets there with a capo at fret 2 and A Major shapes, which is why the chords written here are A Major chords rather than B Major ones.
Do I need a capo for Sweet Caroline?
Yes for the standard arrangement: capo 2. Without it you would be playing B Major shapes, which needs barre chords. With the capo on, the shapes are A Major — much friendlier under the hand.
What chords are in Sweet Caroline?
A, D, F#m, E7 and E — 5 chords across 3 sections. Capo 2 with A shapes: A sounds as B, D as E, E as F# and F#m as G#m. The horn figure in the chorus falls in the gaps — the guitar stops for it rather than strumming through.
What is the easiest way to play Sweet Caroline?
Beginner overall. The pre-chorus is where the song actually happens, and it is the only place a minor chord appears. Play the verse sparse so the F#m in the climb has somewhere to arrive from.
How fast is Sweet Caroline?
About 125 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Sweet Caroline in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.