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Sara Bareilles - Bad Idea Chords

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

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to G key to play this song with easier chords.

  • 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
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]It’s a bad idea, me and you, [C]it’s a bad idea, me and you
[F]I’ve never known anything so true, it’s a [C]terrible idea, me and you

[verse 2]
[C]You have a wife, you have a husband
[C]You’re my doctor, you’ve got a baby coming
[F]It’s a bad idea, me and you
[C]Let’s just keep kissing ’til we come to…

[chorus]
[G]Heart, stop racing
Let’s [Am]face it making [F]mistakes like this
Will make [C]worse what was already pretty bad
[G]Mind, stop running, it’s [Am]time we just let this [F]thing go
It was a [F]pretty good bad [C]idea, wasn’t it though?

[verse 3]
[C]It’s a bad idea, me and you, it’s a bad idea, me and you
[F]Hold me close while I think this through (Um, um, yeah)
Yeah, it’s a [C]very poor idea, me and you

[verse 4]
[C]I got a wife, I got a husband, I’m your doctor
My dumb baby’s coming, [F]it’s a bad idea, me and you
Maybe [C]one more kiss will make us come to

[chorus]
[G]Heart, stop racing
Let’s [Am]face it making [F]mistakes like this
Will make [C]worse what was already pretty bad
[G]Mind, stop running, it’s [Am]time we just let this [F]thing go
It was a [F]pretty good bad [C]idea, wasn’t it though?

[verse 5]
[C]I know [F]what’s right for me
It’s the [Am]only [C]thing I’ve [F]ever done
What if I [Dm]never see myself ever be [Am]anything more
Than what I’ve [C]al ready become?

[verse 6]
[F]I need a bad idea, I need a bad idea, I need a bad idea
I need a bad idea, just one

[chorus]
[G]Heart, stop racing
Let’s [Am]face it making [F]mistakes like this
Will make [C]worse what was already pretty bad
[G]Mind, stop running, it’s [Am]time we just let this [F]thing go
It was a [F]pretty good bad [C]idea, wasn’t it though?

[Closing]
[G]Heart, keep racing, let’s [Am]make mistakes
Let us [F]say “so what?” And make [C]worse what was already pretty bad
[G]This secret [Am]is safe,
No reason to [F]throw it away when [C]there’s love to be had
[G]Hold me tight as [Am]I tell myself that you [F]might make sense
And make [C]good what has been just so bad
[G]Let’s see [Am]this through, it’s a [F]pretty good bad idea
[C]Me and you

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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.
ArtistSara Bareilles
AlbumWhat's Inside: Songs from Waitress
GenresPop
Year2015
KeyC

How to play Bad Idea on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Sara Bareilles - Bad Idea 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.

Bad Idea uses these transitions most often: F → C (14), Am → F (10), and G → Am (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 - F chord transition.

1. 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

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.
C to F

2. C → G chord transition

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

To move 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.
C to G

3. G → Am chord transition

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

To move 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.
G to Am

4. Am → F chord transition

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

To move 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.
Am to F

5. 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.

6. F → Dm chord transition

To move 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.

7. Dm → Am chord transition

To move from Dm to Am;

  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 G string fret 2.

8. F → G chord transition

To move from F to G;

  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 3.

Bad Idea chord transition analysis

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

  • Bad Idea includes 56 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Bad Idea contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Bad Idea 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 → F: 16%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → G: 21%
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.