D
A7
G
Bm
Em
A
Scars In Heaven
Casting Crowns
About the Original Casting Crowns’ “Scars In Heaven” is a contemporary Christian ballad known for its gentle pace and emotional delivery. The original features acoustic guitar as a core instrument, making it accessible for beginners.
Chords The song uses basic open chords: D, G, A/A7, Bm, and Em. Bm is a barre chord, but can be simplified by playing just the top three or four strings (Bm7 or partial barre) if full barres are challenging.
Strumming Pattern Start with a simple downstroke pattern: Down, Down-Up, Up-Down-Up. This works well for the ballad feel. For even more simplicity, use just steady downstrokes for each beat, focusing on smooth chord changes.
Chord Transitions Practice moving between D and G, as these changes happen frequently. Keep your ring finger anchored on the third fret (B string) while switching from D to G for efficiency. For A7, form it by lifting your middle finger off the A chord shape, making it easy to switch quickly from D.
Tips Play slowly at first, letting each chord ring. Use a capo on the second fret if you want to match the original key as sometimes played by Casting Crowns. Focus on clean chord sounds and only increase speed as you become comfortable with transitions.
Techniques Let chords ring naturally; avoid heavy muting. For emotional sections, play more softly or let some chords ring longer. The bridge can be played with single downstrokes for a gentle effect.
With practice, this song becomes a rewarding and expressive piece for beginners.
Intro
D A7
Verse 1If I hadD only known the last time would be theG last time
I would'veD put off all the things I had toG do
I would'veBm stayed a little longer, heldG on a littleD tighter
NowG what I'd give forA7 one more day withD youA7
Verse 2'Cause there's aD wound here in my heart where something'sG missing
And theyD tell me that it's gonna heal withG time
But IBm know you're in a place, where all yourG wounds have been eD rased
AndG knowin' yours areA7 healed is healin'D mine
ChorusThe only scars inG Heaven, they won't belong to me andD you
There'll be no such thing asA7 broken,G and all the old will be madeD new
And the thought that makes meG smile now, even as the tears fallBm down
Is that the only scars inEm Heaven,G are on the hands that hold youD nowA7
Verse 3I know theD road you walked was anything butG easy
You pickedD up your share of scars along theG way
Oh butBm now you're standing in theA sun, you've fought your fight and yourG race is run
The pain is all aA7 million miles aD way
ChorusThe only scars inG Heaven, they won't belong to me andD you
There'll be no such thing asA7 broken,G and all the old will be madeD new
And the thought that makes meG smile now, even as the tears fallBm down
Is that the only scars inEm Heaven,G are on the hands that hold youD now
BridgeHalleG lujah, HalleD lujah, HalleG lujah
For the hands that hold youD now
Verse 4There's not a day goesD by that I don'tG see you
You liveD on in all the better parts ofG me
Until I'mBm standing with you in theA sun, I'll fight this fight and thisG race I'll run
Until I finallyA7 see what you canD see
Final ChorusThe only scars inG Heaven, they won't belong to me andD you
There'll be no such thing asA7 broken,G and all the old will be madeD new
And the thought that makes meG smile now, even as the tears fallBm down
Is that the only scars inEm Heaven,G are on the hands that hold youD now