Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Written 1923 by Thomas O. Chisholm. Published 1923. Public domain.
Verse 1
DGreat is Thy D7faithfulness, GO God my DFather
There is no Dshadow of Aturning with E7Thee
AThou changest A7not, Thy comDpassions they D7fail not
As GThou hast Dbeen, Thou forA7ever wilt Dbe
Chorus
DGreat is Thy Gfaithfulness, Dgreat is Thy Gfaithfulness
DMorning by Amorning new Dmercies I A7see
All I have Dneeded Thy D7hand hath proGvided
DGreat is Thy A7faithfulness, DLord, unto A7me
Verse 2
DSummer and D7winter and Gspringtime and Dharvest
DSun, moon and Astars in their E7courses above
AJoin with all A7nature in Dmanifold D7witness
To GThy great Dfaithfulness, A7mercy and Dlove
Verse 3
DPardon for D7sin and a Gpeace that enDdureth
Thine own dear Dpresence to Acheer and to E7guide
AStrength for toA7day and bright Dhope for toD7morrow
GBlessings all Dmine, with ten A7thousand beDside
Playing Tips
🎸 Strum Pattern — Verse
Great Is Thy Faithfulness is in 3/4, so we use a waltz feel with a gentle down-up-up pattern. Do not play heavy. This hymn is a personal testimony of God's faithfulness, and a hard strum fights the intimacy of the text. Let the song breathe between the beats.
🔊 Dynamics
We build this hymn slowly. Start with just acoustic guitar or piano on verse 1, add a second instrument on verse 2, then bring in the full team on verse 3. On the final chorus, we sometimes pull back to just keys and let the congregation carry it. The effect is powerful.
🎵 Band Direction
Piano is the natural home for this hymn. A soft left-hand bass pattern under a simple chord voicing works perfectly. If you use guitar, fingerpicking fits better than strumming. Avoid heavy electric guitar unless you have a strong arrangement planned. Keep the bass walking and light.
🎤 Vocal
The key of D suits most voices for this hymn. The melody stays in a comfortable mid-range and does not push into high territory, so even singers who are not confident can handle it without strain. If you need a lower key, C works well with simple chord shapes.
→ Transitions — Chorus
Coming off each verse into the chorus, we take a breath rather than rushing. The text calls for reflection, not pace. Let the last chord of each verse ring for an extra beat before beginning "Great is Thy faithfulness." That small pause keeps the congregation from rushing ahead.