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John Prine - Dear Abby Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsA, D, B7, E7, E
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

DearAAbby,DearAbby,myDfeetaretooAlong
MyAhair’sfallingoutandmyB7rightsareallE7wrong
MyAfriendstheyalltellme,thatareDnofriendsatAall
Won’tyouAwritemealetter,won’tyouEgivemeaAcall
DSigned ABewildered
ABewildered,BewilderedyouDhaveno Acomplaint
YouAarewhatyouareandyouB7ain’twhatyouE7ain’t
SoAlistenupbusterandDlistenupAgood
StopAwishingforbadluckandEknockingonAwood
DEA
DearAAbby,DearAbby,myDfountainpenAleaks
MyAwifehollersatmeandmyB7kidsareallE7freaks
EveryAsideIgetuponistheDwrongsideofAbed
IfitAweren’tsoexpensiveI’dEwishIwereAdead
DSigned AUnhappy
AUnhappy,Unhappy,youDhaveno Acomplaint
YouAarewhatyouareandyouB7ain’twhatyouE7ain’t
SoAlistenupbusterandDlistenupAgood
StopAwishingforbadluckandEknockingonAwood
DEA
DearAAbby,DearAbby,youDwon’tbelieveAthis
ButmyAstomachemakesnoises B7wheneverIE7kiss
MyAgirlfriendtellsmeit’sDallinmyAhead
ButmyAstomachetellsmetoEwriteyou Ainstead
DSigned ANoisemaker.
ANoisemaker,Noisemaker,youDhaveno Acomplaing
YouAarewhatyouareandyouB7ain’twhatyouE7ain’t
SoAlistenupbusterandDlistenupAgood
StopAwishingforbadluckandEknockingonAwood
DEA
DearAAbby,DearAbby,wellDIneverAthought
ThatAmeandmygirlfriendwouldB7evergetE7caught
WewereAsittinginthebackseatjustDshootingtheAbreeze
WithherAhairupincurlersandherEpantstoherAknees
DSignedJustAMarried
AJustMarried,JustMarried,youDhaveno Acomplaing
YouAarewhatyouareandyouB7ain’twhatyouE7ain’t
SoAlistenupbusterandDlistenupAgood
StopAwishingforbadluckandEknockingonAwood
DSignedDearAAbby
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.
ArtistJohn Prine
AlbumOld Grey Whistle
GenresFolk
Year1973
KeyA
DifficultyEasy

How to play Dear Abby on Guitar (Step-by-step)

John Prine - Dear Abby on guitar requires 5 chords and 6 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.

Dear Abby uses these transitions most often: A → D (24), D → A (16), and E → A (16). 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 A - D chord transition.

1. A → D chord transition

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

Here's how to move from A 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 G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 24 times.

A to D

2. A → B7 chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram

To move from A to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

A to B7

3. B7 → E7 chord transition

Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from B7 to E7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

B7 to E7

4. E7 → A chord transition

Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram

To move from E7 to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

E7 to A

5. A → E chord transition

To move from A to E:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

6. D → E chord transition

To move from D to E:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Dear Abby chord transition analysis

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

  • Dear Abby includes 96 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Dear Abby contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Dear Abby connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → D: 29%
    • A → E: 12%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → A: 17%
    • D → E: 3%
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.