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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.

Don MacLean - American Pie Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, D, Em, Am, C, D7, A7
Strumming↓-↓↑

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

AGlong,DlongEmtimeago,AmIcanstill Crememberhow
ThatEmmusicusedtoDmakemesmile.D7
IGknewDifIEmhadmychancethatAmIcouldmakethoseCpeopledance
andEmmaybethey’dbeChappyforaDwhile.
ButEmFebruaryAmmademeshiver,EmwitheverypaperAmI’ddeliver,
CBadnewsGontheAmdoorstep,ICcouldn’ttakeoneDmorestep.
IGcan’t DrememberEmifIcriedwhenIAmreadabouthisDwidowedbride,
GSomethingDtouchedmeEmdeepinside,theCday,theD7music,Gdied.
SoGByeCbye,Miss GAmericanDPie,
drovemyGchevytotheCleveebuttheGleveewasDdry,
ThemGgoodole’Cboysweredrinkin’GwhiskeyandDrye,singin’
EmThis’llbethedaythatIA7die,Emthis’llbethedaythatIDdie.D7
GDidyouwritetheAmbookofloveanddoCyouhavefaithinAmGodabove,
EmiftheBibleDtellsyouso?D7
NowdoGyou DbelieveinEmrockandroll,
canAmmusicsaveyourCmortalsouland
EmCanyouteachmeA7howtodancerealDslow?
Well,IEmknowthatyou’reinDlovewithhim,
`causeIEmsawyoudancingDinthegym.
YouCbothkickedGoffyourA7shoes,manICdigthoserhythmandD7blues.
IwasaGlonelyDteenageEmbroncin’buck
withaAmpinkcarnationandaCpickuptruck,
butGIknewDIwasEmoutoflucktheCday,theD7music,Gdied.CG
SoGByeCbye,Miss GAmericanDPie,
drovemyGchevytotheCleveebuttheGleveewasDdry,
ThemGgoodole’Cboysweredrinkin’GwhiskeyandDrye,singin’
EmThis’llbethedaythatIA7die,Emthis’llbethedaythatIDdie.D7
GImetaDgirlwhoEmsangthebluesandIAmaskedherforsomeChappynews,
butEmshejustsmiledandDturnedaway.D7
GIwentDdowntotheEmsacredstorewhereIAmheardthemusicCyearsbefore,
buttheEmmantheresaidtheCmusicwouldn’tDplay.
AndEminthestreetstheAmchildrenscreamed,
theEmloverscriedandtheAmpoetsdreamed,
butCnotaGwordwasAmspoken,theCchurchbellsallwereDbroken.
AndtheGthreemenDI Emadmiremost,theAmFather,SonandtheDHolyGhost,
theyGcaughttheDlasttrainEmforthecoast,theCday,theAmmusic,Gdied.
DAndtheyweresingin’…
GByeCbye,Miss GAmericanDPie,
drovemyGchevytotheCleveebuttheGleveewasDdry,
ThemGgoodole’Cboysweredrinkin’GwhiskeyandDrye,singin’
CThis’llbetheDdaythatIGdieCG
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.
ArtistDon MacLean
AlbumAmerican Pie
GenresFolk, Folk Rock, Rock
Year1971
KeyG
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play American Pie on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Don MacLean - American Pie on guitar requires 7 chords and 17 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.

American Pie uses these transitions most often: G → D (21), D → Em (17), and C → G (15). 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 G - D chord transition.

1. G → D chord transition

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

Here's how to move from G to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 21 times.

G 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

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 17 times.

D to Em

3. Em → Am chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

Here's how to move from Em to Am:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

Em to Am

4. Am → C chord transition

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

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 11 times.

Am to C

5. C → Em chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

6. D → D7 chord transition

Switching from D to D7:

  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 G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

7. D7 → G chord transition

Switching from D7 to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

8. C → D chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

9. C → G chord transition

Switching from C to G:

  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 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 15 times.

10. G → Am chord transition

Switching from G to Am:

  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 G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

11. Am → D chord transition

Switching from Am 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 G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

12. C → D7 chord transition

To move from C to D7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

13. Em → A7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Em to A7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

14. A7 → D chord transition

Switching from A7 to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

15. G → A7 chord transition

Switching from G to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

16. A7 → C chord transition

To move from A7 to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

17. Am → D7 chord transition

Switching from Am to D7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

American Pie chord transition analysis

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

  • American Pie includes 159 chord transitions, 17 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.04% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • American Pie contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how American Pie connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → D: 24%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Em: 17%
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.