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Louis Armstrong - Cabaret Chords

ChordsD, A, D7, G, Ab, F#m, B7, Em7, A7, G#, Gm, Bm, B
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

DWhatgoodisAsitting
DAloneinyourAroom
DComehearthemusicD7play
GLifeisaAbCabaretoldB7chum
Em7CometotheA7CabaretA
DPutdowntheAknitting
TheDbookandtheAbroom
DTimefora D7holiday
GLifeisaG#CabaretoldB7chum
Em7CometotheA7CabaretD7
CometastetheGmwine
ComeheartheDband
ComeblowyourBmhornstartcelebrating
ARightthiswayyourA7table’swaiting
DNouse Apermitting
SomeDprophetofAdoom
ToDwipeeverysmile D7away
GLifeisaBCabaretoldB7chum
GOnlyaBCabaretoldB7chum
SoEm7cometotheACabaret
AlbumSingle
GenresJazz
Year1968
KeyD
DifficultyAdvanced

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

Louis Armstrong - Cabaret on guitar requires 13 chords and 20 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.

Cabaret uses these transitions most often: A → D (8), D → A (7), and D → D7 (4). 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 D - A chord transition.

1. D → A chord transition

Here's how to move from D to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

D to A

2. D → D7 chord transition

To move 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 4 times.

D to D7

3. D7 → G chord transition

To move 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 3 times.

D7 to G

4. G → Ab chord transition

Switching from G to Ab:

  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 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse.

G to Ab

5. Ab → F#m chord transition

Switching from Ab to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

6. F#m → B7 chord transition

To move from F#m to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

7. B7 → Em7 chord transition

Here's how to move from B7 to Em7:

  1. While playing B7, first lift your index finger, ring finger, and pinky.
  2. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

8. Em7 → A7 chord transition

To move from Em7 to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

9. A7 → D chord transition

To move 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, played 3 times.

10. G → G# chord transition

Switching from G to G#:

  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 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse.

11. G# → F#m chord transition

To move from G# to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

12. D7 → Gm chord transition

Here's how to move from D7 to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

13. Gm → D chord transition

To move from Gm to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

14. D → Bm chord transition

Switching from D to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

15. Bm → A chord transition

Switching from Bm to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

16. A → A7 chord transition

To move from A to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

17. G → B chord transition

To move from G to B:

  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 D string fret 4.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

18. B → F#m chord transition

To move from B to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

19. B7 → G chord transition

Switching from B7 to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

20. Em7 → A chord transition

To move from Em7 to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

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

  • Cabaret includes 49 chord transitions, 20 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Cabaret contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Cabaret connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → A: 17%
    • D → Bm: 5%
    After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → D: 29%
    • A → A7: 3%