Road to Over the Rainbow

Harold Arlen · Grade 5

Destination piece

Over the Rainbow — Harold Arlen (The Best in Movie Sheet Music) · Grade 5

"Over the Rainbow" was written by Harold Arlen (music) and E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) for the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, where it was performed by Judy Garland as Dorothy. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The opening melodic leap of a full octave on "Some-WHERE" is one of the most recognisable moments in American popular song. The Dan Coates arrangement for The Best in Movie Sheet Music is set in Ab major with a lyrical broken-chord left-hand pattern — the technical focus is on sustaining the long, arching melodic phrase across that opening octave and beyond, which requires musical phrasing.

Play something today

A simplified arrangement — note names in the notes, basic chord shapes — that most adults with no piano experience can work through in a first or second session.

Best Songs Ever — Super Easy Piano · Hal Leonard — ISBN 9781540084217. Right-hand melody with letter names inside the note heads; basic left-hand chord diagrams. Accessible for absolute beginners.

This gets you playing the tune today — the expansive opening phrase and the tone colour that make the song sound like a genuine performance are flattened in the Super Easy version. If you want to play Over the Rainbow the way you hear it in your head — with the broad phrasing, the warm pedalling, and the Ab major tone colour — that is what the full plan below builds toward.

About this plan

The defining demand of the Coates arrangement is musical phrasing: the ability to shape a long melodic arch convincingly from start to peak to resolution. This sits on top of melody over accompaniment and pedalling, which the prep sequence builds in order. The pieces are chosen because each one specifically develops the phrase awareness and tonal control the destination piece requires.

Skills you'll build

musical phrasingmelody over accompanimentpedalling

Estimated time: 10–14 weeks at 20–30 min/day

Books you'll need

Children's Album, Op. 39

P. I. Tchaikovsky · Peters / Henle / any edition — free on IMSLP

Free on IMSLP. You need Italian Song (No. 15) and Sweet Dreams (No. 21).

Lyric Pieces, Op. 12

Edvard Grieg · Peters / Henle / any edition — free on IMSLP

Free on IMSLP. You need Arietta (No. 1).

The Best in Movie Sheet Music

arr. Dan Coates · Warner Bros. / Alfred

Contains the destination piece. Buy this when you reach the Grieg Arietta — not before.

The plan

A 4-piece path to playing Over the Rainbow. Register free to unlock it.

Italian Song (Chanson italienne), Op. 39 No. 15

P. I. TchaikovskyChildren's Album, Op. 39Grade 3 — browse all →

A warm singing melody over a continuous left-hand pattern. This is where the melody-over-accompaniment balance is established, along with the first practice of genuine phrase shaping.

Sweet Dreams, Op. 39 No. 21

P. I. TchaikovskyChildren's Album, Op. 39Grade 4 — browse all →

A gentle, dreamlike character piece that demands sustained phrase awareness and a delicate, even tone throughout. This is where tonal control — tone colour — first becomes a specific focus.

Arietta, Op. 12 No. 1

E. GriegLyric Pieces, Op. 12Grade 5 — browse all →

Grieg's Arietta is one of those deceptively simple pieces that demands genuine tonal and pedal control to sound beautiful. This is the closest match in texture and character to the Coates Over the Rainbow.

See the full plan — guidance notes, recordings, and progress tracking.

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Over the Rainbow

Harold ArlenThe Best in Movie Sheet MusicGrade 5 — browse all →

The destination. Your library covers phrase arcs, melody over LH, and pedalling after completing the three pieces above.

See all 4 pieces — free account, no credit card.