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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.

Ariana Grande - Break Free Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Am, G, Em, B7, D
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 Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

[Opening]
[C] [Am] [G] [C]
If you [Em]want it, [Am]take it, [G]I should have said it [C]before
Tried to [Em]hide it, [Am]fake it, [G]I can’t pretend [C]anymore

[chorus]
[Em]I only want to [Am]die alive, [G]never by the hands of a [C]broken heart
[Em]I don’t wanna hear you [Am]lie tonight, [G]now that I’ve become who I [B7]really am

[chorus]
[C] This [Em]is the [G]part when I [C]say I don?t want it
I’m [Em]stronger than [G]I’ve been [C]before
This [Em]is the [D]part when I [C]break free
Cause [Am]I can’t resist it no [C]more
This [Em]is the [G]part when I [C]say I don?t want it
I’m [Em]stronger than [G]I’ve been [C]before
This [Em]is the [D]part when I [C]break free
Cause [Am]I can’t resist it no [C][B7]more [C]

[verse 2]
You were [Em]better, [Am]deeper, [G]I was under a [C]spell
Like a [Em]deadly [Am]fear I am, babe, [G]on the highway [C]to hell

[chorus]
[Em]I only want to [Am]die alive, [G]never by the hands of a [C]broken heart
[Em]I don’t wanna hear you [Am]lie tonight, [G]now that I’ve become who I [B7]really am

[chorus]
[C] This [Em]is the [G]part when I [C]say I don?t want it
I’m [Em]stronger than [G]I’ve been [C]before
This [Em]is the [D]part when I [C]break free
Cause [Am]I can’t resist it no [C]more
This [Em]is the [G]part when I [C]say I don?t want it
I’m [Em]stronger than [G]I’ve been [C]before
This [Em]is the [D]part when I [C]break free
Cause [Am]I can’t [C]resist it no [Am]more

[Closing]
[C]([G]Our love [Em] [G]baby, [D] [Am]ooo[C]oo[G]h) the [Em]thought on your body
I [D]came [Am]alive, it was [C]lethal, it was [Em]fatal
In my [B7]dreams it felt so [Am]right
But I [C]woke up and pre[Em]tend [D] [G] [Em] [B7] Oh [C]baby

[chorus]
This [Em]is the [G]part when I [C]say I don?t want it
I’m [Em]stronger than [G]I’ve been [C]before
This [Em]is the [D]part when I [C]break free
Cause [Am]I can’t resist it no [C]more
This [Em]is the [G]part when I [C]say I don?t want it
I’m [Em]stronger than [G]I’ve been [C]before
This [Em]is the [D]part when I [C]break free
Cause [Am]I can’t resist it no [C]more

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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.
ArtistAriana Grande
AlbumMy Everything
GenresPop
Year2014
KeyC

How to play Break Free on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ariana Grande - Break Free on guitar requires 6 chords and 14 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.

Break Free uses these transitions most often: C → Em (28), G → C (19), and Em → G (13). 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 - Am chord transition.

1. 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

To move 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.
C to Am

2. Am → G chord transition

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

To move from Am 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 G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
Am to G

3. 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

4. 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.
C to Em

5. Em → Am chord transition

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.

6. G → B7 chord transition

To move from G to B7;

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

7. B7 → C chord transition

To move from B7 to C;

  1. While playing B7, lift your pinky from E string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.

8. Em → G chord transition

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.

9. Em → D chord transition

To move from Em to D;

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

10. D → C chord transition

To move from D to C;

  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 A string fret 3.

11. G → D chord transition

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.

12. 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.

13. Em → B7 chord transition

To move from Em to B7;

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

14. B7 → Am chord transition

To move from B7 to Am;

  1. While playing B7, lift your pinky from E string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on G string fret 2.

Break Free chord transition analysis

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

  • Break Free includes 128 chord transitions, 14 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Break Free contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Break Free 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 → Am: 10%
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
    • Em → G: 18%
    • Em → D: 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.