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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.

Paper Lace - Billy Don’t Be a Hero Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Em, Dm, G, G7, C7, F, Fm, Ab, Db, Ebm, Db7, F#, F#m, Ab7
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

CEmDmGG7C
DmThemarchingbandcameGdownalongmainstreet,
CThesoldierbluesfellinbehind.
DmIlookedacrossandGthereIsawBilly,
CWaitingtogoandjointheline,
DmAndwithherhead Guponhisshoulder
DmhisyoungandlovelyGfiancée.
DmFromwhereIstoodIGsawshewascrying,
DmAndthroughhertearsIGheardhersay:
CBilly,don’tbeaEmhero,don’tbeaDmfoolwithyourlife
GBilly,don’tbeaG7hero,comebackandCmakemeyourwife
AndasCBillystartedtoC7go,shesaid,FkeepyourprettyheadFmlow,
CBilly,don’tbeGhero,comebacktoCme!
DmThesoldierblueswereGtrappedonahillside,
CThebattleragingallaround,
DmThesergeantcried,“We’veGgottohangonboys!
CWe’vegottoholdthispieceofground!
DmIneedavolunteertoGrideup,
DmAndbringusbacksomeGextramen.”
DmAndBilly’shandwasGupinamoment,
DmForgettingalltheGwordsshesaid
SheGsaid:
CBilly,don’tbeaEmhero,don’tbeaDmfoolwithyourlife!
GBilly,don’tbeaG7hero,comebackandCmakemeyourwife!
AndasCBillystartedtoC7go,shesaid,FkeepyourprettyheadFmlow,
CBilly,don’tbeGhero,comebacktoCme!
DmIheardhis GfiancéegotaletterCthattoldhowBillydiedthatday.
DmThelettersaidthatGhewasahero,Csheshouldbeproudhediedthatway.
DmIheardshethrewtheGletter Caway.
CEmDmGG7C
SheAbsaid:
DbBilly,don’tbeahero,don’tbeaEbmfoolwithyourlife
AbBilly,don’tbeahero,comebackandDbmakemeyourwife
AndasDbBillystartedtoDb7go,shesaid,F#keepyourprettyheadF#mlow,
DbBilly,don’tbeAbhero,comebacktoDbme!
EbmIheardhis AbfiancéegotaletterDbthattoldhowBillydiedthatday.
EbmThelettersaidthatAbhewasahero,Dbsheshouldbeproudhediedthatway.
EbmIheardshethrewtheAbletter Dbaway.
DbFmEbmAbAb7Db
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.
ArtistPaper Lace
AlbumPaper Lace
GenresPop
Year1974
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Billy Don't Be a Hero on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Paper Lace - Billy Don't Be a Hero on guitar requires 15 chords and 23 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.

Billy Don't Be a Hero uses these transitions most often: Dm → G (19), G → C (11), and C → Dm (9). 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 - Em chord transition.

1. C → Em chord transition

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

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

C to Em

2. Em → Dm chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

To move from Em to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

Em to Dm

3. Dm → G chord transition

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

To move from Dm to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from E 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. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 19 times.

Dm to G

4. G → G7 chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

To move from G to G7:

  1. Keep index finger on A string fret 2.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

G to G7

5. G7 → C chord transition

Here's how to move from G7 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 1 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

6. C → Dm chord transition

Here's how to move from C to Dm:

  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 A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

7. G → C chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 11 times.

8. C → C7 chord transition

Switching from C to C7:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

9. C7 → F chord transition

Switching from C7 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. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

10. F → Fm chord transition

Switching from F to Fm:

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

11. Fm → C chord transition

Switching from Fm to C:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

12. C → Ab chord transition

To move from C to Ab:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

13. Ab → Db chord transition

Switching from Ab to Db:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

14. Db → Ebm chord transition

To move from Db to Ebm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

15. Ebm → Ab chord transition

To move from Ebm to Ab:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 5 times.

16. Db → Db7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Db to Db7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

17. Db7 → F# chord transition

Switching from Db7 to F#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

18. F# → F#m chord transition

To move from F# to F#m:

  1. While playing F#, lift your middle finger from G string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 4.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 4.

This transition appears in the chorus.

19. F#m → Db chord transition

Switching from F#m to Db:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

20. Db → Fm chord transition

Here's how to move from Db to Fm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

21. Fm → Ebm chord transition

To move from Fm to Ebm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

22. Ab → Ab7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Ab to Ab7:

  1. While playing Ab, lift your ring finger from E string fret 4.
  2. Keep index finger on D string fret 1.
  3. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.

This transition appears in the chorus.

23. Ab7 → Db chord transition

Here's how to move from Ab7 to Db:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

Billy Don't Be a Hero chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Billy Don't Be a Hero.

  • Billy Don't Be a Hero includes 96 chord transitions, 23 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Billy Don't Be a Hero contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Billy Don't Be a Hero 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 → Dm: 2%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → Em: 8%
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.