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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.

James Arthur - Always Chords

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

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

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]Well, Let me paint you a picture, [D]introduce some non-fiction
[Em]And you can watch how the truth [G]unfolds, [C]and I will wait ’til the morning
[D]And you can tell me how nightmares, [Em]how they don’t visit you in your dreams
And as you walk [G]out the [Bm]door, you will tell me that I’m [C]right
And I [D]will ask you, “just [Em]what for?” And you will tell me that [G] [Bm]tonight
That I’m the one to keep you [C]warm, and I will look at you and [D]smile

[verse 2]
And you will tell me that I’m [G]every[Bm]thing, [C]that you wanted,
[D]That you needed, [G] [Bm]everything, [C]that you wanted,
[D]That you needed, [Am]and you don’t want me to go away
[C]Baby, I’m here to stay, [G] [Bm] [C]always, [G] [Bm]always

[verse 3]
[C]And your friends can go to Hell, [D]if when your back’s turned,
[Em]They twist the knife,

[verse 4]
The lessons learned, [G]no need to hold the [Bm]burden of those
[C]Glances over your [D]shoulder
[Em]Don’t you let them make you feel like you’re worthless
[G]You’re worth more than [Bm]anyone, [C]that I have ever met before
[D]And when I watch you I’m in [Em]awe, and I am here to [G]reassure
[Bm]That I’m the one to keep you [C]warm, and I will look at your and [D]smile

[verse 5]
And I will tell you that you’re [G] [Bm]everything, [C]that I wanted,
That I needed, [G] [Bm]everything, [C]that I wanted,

[verse 6]
That I needed, [Am]and I don’t want you to go away
[C]Baby, I hope that you’ll stay, [G] [Bm]always
[C]I hope that you’ll stay, [G] [Bm]always
[C]But I hope you’ll stay, [G] [Bm]always
[C]And I hope you’ll stay, [G] [Bm]always

[verse 7]
[C]Darling, you are safe, no need to run [D]away
[G]I’ll protect you [Bm]I swear, [C]every [Em]single day
I made a promise I [C]won’t break, that I will [D]love you everyday
[G]With every piece [Bm]of my soul, [Em]every inch of my heart
[C]And I will not forget that, [D]I will not forget that

[verse 8]
Oh my darling, you are [G] [Bm]everything, [C]that I wanted,
That I needed, [G] [Bm]everything, [C]that I wanted,
That I needed, oh, [G]every[Bm]thing, [C]that you wanted,
That you needed, [G] [Bm]everything, [C]that you wanted,

[Closing]
That you needed, [Am]and I don’t want you to go away
[C]I hope you’re here to stay, [G] [Bm]always
[C]You’re here to stay, [G] [Bm]always
[C]I hope you’re here to stay, [G] [Bm]always
[C]’Cause I’m here to stay, [G] [Bm] [C]always

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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.
ArtistJames Arthur
AlbumSins by the Sea
GenresPop
Year2011
KeyC

How to play Always on Guitar (Step-by-step)

James Arthur - Always on guitar requires 6 chords and 11 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.

Always uses these transitions most often: G → Bm (25), Bm → C (24), and C → G (14). 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 - D chord transition.

1. C → D chord transition

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

To move from C to D;

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

2. D → Em chord transition

Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from D to Em;

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

3. Em → G chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from Em to G;

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

4. G → C chord transition

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

To move from G to C;

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

5. G → Bm chord transition

To move from G to Bm;

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

6. Bm → C chord transition

To move from Bm to C;

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

7. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

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

8. D → Am chord transition

To move from D to Am;

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

9. Am → C chord transition

To move from Am to C;

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

10. C → Em chord transition

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

11. Bm → Em chord transition

To move from Bm to Em;

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

Always chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Always.

  • Always includes 105 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Always contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Always 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 → G: 35%
    • C → D: 11%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Bm: 4%
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.