ChordPocket

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms chords

Elisha Hoffman and Anthony Showalter, 1887

A bouncy gospel hymn whose call-and-response chorus ("leaning, leaning") is fun to sing in a group. It appears in many country and bluegrass sets.

Chords
4
Level
Easy
Time
4/4

Chords

G213
C×321
A7×12
D7××213

Chart

Verse

  1. G
  2. /
  3. /
  4. /
  5. C
  6. /
  7. G
  8. /
  9. G
  10. /
  11. /
  12. /
  13. A7
  14. D7
  15. G
  16. /

Chorus

  1. G
  2. /
  3. /
  4. /
  5. D7
  6. /
  7. G
  8. /
  9. G
  10. /
  11. C
  12. /
  13. G
  14. D7
  15. G
  16. /

How to play it

You need 4 chords: G, C, A7 and D7. The change you'll make most is D7 to G, so practice switching between those two slowly before playing along.

Each box is one bar of 4/4 time. Strum the chord on the beat, and change when the next box starts. A slash means keep playing the same chord.

Questions

What chords are in Leaning on the Everlasting Arms?

This arrangement uses G, C, A7 and D7.

Is Leaning on the Everlasting Arms easy to play on guitar?

Fairly. None of the 4 chords needs a full barre, though there are a few more shapes to learn.