Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Ry Cooder - Across The Borderline Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, G7, F, Am, Dm
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

CThere’saplacewhereG7I’vebeenCtold
FEverystreetisG7pavedwithCgold
Andit’sjustAmacrosstheborderG7line
CAndwhenit’stimetoG7takeyourCturn
Here’salessonthatFyoumustDmlearn
CYoucouldlosemoreG7thanyou’lleverCfind
WhenyouAmreachtheG7brokenCpromisedland
FAndeverydreamslipsCthroughyourhands
Thenyou’llknowthatit’stooAmlatetochangeyourG7mindFG7
Causeyou’veFpaidtheG7pricetoCcomesofar
FJusttoG7windupAmwhereyouFare
Andyou’reCstilljust G7acrosstheborderCline
UpanddowntheG7RioCGrande
FAthousandfootprintsG7intheCsand
RevealasecretAmnoonecan G7defineFG7
CG7CFG7CAmG7
CG7CFDmCG7C
HoperemainsG7whenprideisCgone
AnditkeepsyouFmovingDmon
CCallingyou G7acrosstheAmborderline
WhenyouAmreachtheG7brokenCpromisedland
FAndeverydreamslipsCthroughyourhands
Thenyou’llknowthatit’stooAmlatetochangeyourG7mindFG7
Causeyou’veFpaidtheG7pricetoCcomesofar
FJusttoG7windupAmwhereyouFare
Andyou’reCstilljust G7acrosstheborderCline
AmAndyou’reCstillG7justacrosstheborderCline
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistRy Cooder
AlbumGet Rhythm
GenresR&B, Rock, Soul
Year1987
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Across The Borderline on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ry Cooder - Across The Borderline on guitar requires 5 chords and 8 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Across The Borderline uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (21), C → G7 (12), and C → F (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - G7 chord transition.

1. C → G7 chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

Switching from C to G7:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

C to G7

2. C → F chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

Here's how to move from C to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

C to F

3. F → G7 chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

Switching from F to G7:

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

F to G7

4. C → Am chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

Switching from C to Am:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

C to Am

5. Am → G7 chord transition

To move from Am to G7:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

6. F → Dm chord transition

Switching from F to Dm:

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

7. Dm → C chord transition

Switching from Dm to C:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

8. Am → F chord transition

Switching from Am to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

Across The Borderline chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Across The Borderline.

  • Across The Borderline includes 90 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Across The Borderline contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Across The Borderline connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → F: 16%
    • C → Am: 10%
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%
    • G7 → F: 5%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.