How to Play Have You Ever Seen the Rain by CCR

how to play Aug 31, 2026

How to Play Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This is the write-up of my YouTube lesson on the rhythm guitar part to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. We're going to break it down the way we always do: intro (including two optional little licks), verse, chorus, then the whole song from start to finish.

I put together a free rhythm sheet for this. Grab it first so you can follow along: simpleguitar.com/seentherain

Time Signature and Strumming

The rhythm sheet is in 4/4. Every time you see a chord name, that's how many beats you're playing that chord — four beats per measure.

The strum is just eighth notes: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and — down up down up down up down up. That's all you need.

Add accents on beat 2 and beat 4. In the intro (and a few other spots) you'll hear little 16th-note pickups — and-a 1 — that you can slip in as you hear them. You'll hear that first thing in the intro.

The Chords You Need

A minor (standard open)
F/C (F with a C in the bass)
C
G
F (full barre if you can)
C/B (C with a B in the bass)
A minor / G (A minor with a G in the bass)
E minor / G (for one split in the chorus)

F/C fingering from the lesson: make a regular four-string F (first finger on the first two strings, second finger on the third string), then put your third finger on the fifth string and your pinky on the fourth string, both on the third fret. Leave the sixth string out — it's basically a full-barre F without the sixth string.

F alternatives if the full barre isn't there yet:

Simple four-string F (first finger barring the first two strings)
F power chord: first finger on the sixth string, third and fourth fingers on the fifth and fourth strings at the third fret

C/B: play your C chord, then drop the bass note on the fifth string down to a B.

A minor / G: keep the A minor shape and add the G in the bass. I use my pinky for that G. You can use your third finger if that works better.

Intro

Chords (in order):

A minor — 1 measure
F/C — 1 measure
C — 1 measure
G — 1 measure
C — 2 more measures

Strumming starts with that little and-a 1 into the A minor.

Optional Intro Licks

On the recording, a lick gets played over the G chord and over the final measure of C. Those are actually the bass and the keys. I transcribed them so you can play them. They are not required.

G lick:

Second fret on the third string
Third string open
Second fret on the fourth string (play it twice)
Low G on the sixth string
End on a C chord

C lick (very similar):

First fret on the second string (the C note)
Second string open
Second fret on the third string
Third string open twice
End on a C chord

Work those in if you want, play them over someone else doing the rhythm, or skip them. It's just those two licks, and they show up throughout the song.

Verse Chord Progression

Very simple:

C for four measures straight
G for two measures
C for two more measures

Repeat that twice. That makes up verse 1 and verse 2. Same eighth-note strum, accenting 2 and 4.

If you need to slow it down, use the video controls, rewind, and practice until the changes are smooth. That's all the verse is.

Chorus Chord Progression

F — 1 measure
G — 1 measure
Split measure: C for two beats, then C/B for two beats
Split measure: A minor for two beats, then A minor / G for two beats
F — 1 measure
G — 1 measure
Split again: C, C/B, A minor, E minor / G
F — 1 measure
G — 1 measure
C — 2 measures

Full Song Structure

There's no bridge. That's the trick with this one.

Intro
Verse
Chorus
Verse 2
Chorus twice
Ending change on the last line: F, then G, then C for one measure, throw in a measure of G, and end on C. Over that final G, play the G lick again.

Practice Tips

Take it slow. Do a lot of repetitions.
Know each chord and change between them smoothly before you worry about speed.
Keep the rhythm solid — eighth notes with accents on 2 and 4.
Then put the whole song together and play along with the recording.

You can totally do this. I believe in you.

If you want a simple place to start on guitar in general, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.

And if you want to hang out with other adult guitar players, join the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.

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About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.