For Once In My Life Chords & Tabs
Ok here's the deal people. This is the REAL tab to this song.
The other tabs labeled "For Once In My Life" are simply imposters encouraging capo usage
and even raising the capo to accommodate a key change (WTF???).
Look I care about you guitar playing people of the world so I took it upon myself to
transcribe a great rendition of this song.
The version here is true to the original but to give credit where credit is due
I got the chords from the guitar player on the @NathanielTao cover
which you can feel free to look up on Youtube. It's a great cover and will help you
learn this song.
It seems challenging but you've got to think of it as more of a jazz chord progression
and not a pop song...though it is a pop song, it draws from jazz quite a bit.
Just so you know a Gm(M7)= G-Bb-D-F#...a G chord with a minor 3rd but a major 7th.
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/stevie_wonder/for_once_in_my_life_tab.html ]
For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
F F#dim Gm Gm(M7) Gm7-M7 <-from
minor7 to maj7
1---------------------------------------------X----3---------3---------3--3-|
1---------------------------------------------4----3---------3---------3--3-|
2---------------------------------------------5----3---------3---------3--3-|
3---------------------------------------------4----5---------4---------3--4-|
3---------------------------------------------3----5---------5---------5--5-|
1---------------------------------------------X----3---------3---------3--3-|
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me someone Ive needed so long
Gm Gm(M7) Gm7 C/G F
----3-----------3----------3----------------X-----------1----------------------------|
----3-----------3----------3----------------1-----------1----------------------------|
----3-----------3----------3----------------0-----------2----------------------------|
----5-----------4----------3----------------2-----------3----------------------------|
----5-----------5----------5----------------3-----------X----------------------------|
----3-----------3----------3----------------3-----------X----------------------------|
For once in my life, I can go where life leads me, and somehow I know Ill be strong
F F(aug5) Bbmaj7 Dm7 Dm9
1---------------------------1---------------------------1------------X------X-|
1---------------------------2---------------------------3------------6------5-|
2---------------------------2---------------------------2------------3------3-|
3---------------------------3---------------------------3------------5------5-|
X---------------------------X---------------------------1------------5------5-|
X---------------------------X---------------------------X------------X------X-|
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream oo-of, loong before I knew
Am7 Dm7 Dm9 Gm Am Bb
X-----------------X------X------3------------X-------6--------------|
5-----------------6------5------3------------5-------6--------------|
5-----------------5------5------3------------5-------7--------------|
7-----------------3------3------5------------5-------8--------------|
7-----------------5------5------5------------7-------8--8-7-5-----3-|
5-----------------X------X------3------------5-------6---------3----|
Someone warm like youuuu, would make my dreams come true
F F#dim7 Gm Gm(M7) Gm7
1----------------------------------------------X----3------------3---------3---|
1----------------------------------------------4----3------------3---------3---|
2----------------------------------------------5----3------------3---------3---|
3----------------------------------------------4----5------------4---------3---|
3----------------------------------------------3----5------------5---------5---|
1----------------------------------------------X----3------------3---------3---|
For once in my life, I wont let sorrow hurt me, not like its hurt me before
Gm Gm(M7) Gm7 C/G F Cm7
----3--------------3----------3----------------X--------1----------3----|
----3--------------3----------3----------------1--------1----------4----|
----3--------------3----------3----------------0--------2----------3----|
----5--------------4----------3----------------2--------3----------5----|
----5--------------5----------5----------------3--------X----------3----|
----3--------------3----------3----------------3--------X----------X----|
For once I have something, I know wont desert me, Im not alone anymore
F F(aug5) Dm7 G7
1----------------------------1--------------------------------------------------------3-|
1----------------------------2-----------------------6--------------------------------3-|
2----------------------------2-----------------------5--------------------------------4-|
3----------------------------3-----------------------7--------------------------------3-|
X----------------------------X-----------------------5--------------------------------5-|
X----------------------------X-----------------------X--------------------------------3-|
For once I can say this is mine you cant take it, long as I know I got love, I can make it
F Dm7 Gm7 C9
----1------------------X-----------X----------X-|
----1------------------6-----------3----------3-|
----2------------------5-----------3----------3-|
----3------------------7-----------3----------2-|
----3------------------5-----------X----------3-|
----1------------------X-----------3----------X-|
For once in maaaaaaah life I have someone who needs me
F Eb Ab Dbm7 Gbm7 F# E a Dm7 Gm7
X-----------X-----4-----4------6----X--------X------5----X------7-|
10----------8-----4-----6------6----11-------9------5----7------7-|
10----------8-----5-----5------6----11-------9------6----6------7-|
10----------8-----6-----6------4----11-------9------7----7------5-|
8-----------6-----X-----4------X----9--------7------7----5------X-|
X-----------X-----X-----X------X----X--------X------5----X------X-|
Someone who needs meeeeee Someone who needs mee OOOH for
F# Gdim7 G#m C#9
2----------------------------------------X----4----------------------X---|
2----------------------------------------5----4----------------------4---|
3----------------------------------------6----4----------------------4---|
4----------------------------------------5----6----------------------3---|
4----------------------------------------4----6----------------------4---|
2----------------------------------------X----4----------------------X---|
once in my life, I wont let sorrow hurt me, not like its hurt me before
G#m G#m(M7) G#m7 C#9 F# C#m7
----4--------------4----------4---------------X--------2------------X----|
----4--------------4----------4---------------4--------2------------5----|
----4--------------4----------4---------------4--------3------------4----|
----6--------------5----------4---------------3--------4------------2----|
----6--------------6----------6---------------4--------X------------4----|
----4--------------4----------4---------------X--------X------------X----|
For once I have something, I know wont desert me, Im not alone anymore
F# F(#aug5) BM7 G#7
2----------------------------2------------------------X-----------------4-|
2----------------------------3------------------------4-----------------4-|
3----------------------------3------------------------3-----------------5-|
4----------------------------4------------------------4-----------------4-|
X----------------------------X------------------------2-----------------6-|
X----------------------------X------------------------X-----------------4-|
For once I can say this is mine you cant take it, long as I know I got love, I can make it
F# D#m7 G#m7 C#9 F# E a Dm7 Gm7
----2--------------------X----------X-------X-----------X-------X------5----X----7-|
----2--------------------7----------4--------4----------11------9------5----7----7-|
----3--------------------6----------4--------4----------11------9------6----6----7-|
----4--------------------8----------4--------3----------11------9------7----7----5-|
----4--------------------6----------X--------4-----------9------7------7----5----X-|
----2--------------------X----------4--------X-----------X------X------5----X----X-|
For once in maaaah life I have someone who needs me Someone who needs ME
F# E a Dm7 Gm7
X---------X-----5----X------7-|
11--------9-----5----7------7-|
11--------9-----6----6------7-|
11--------9-----7----7------5-|
9---------7-----7----5------X-|
X---------X-----5----X------X-|
Someone who needs ME