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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.

Ed Sheeran - Empire State Of Mind Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, C, D, Em, B
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

Yeah,I’moutofGBrooklyn,nowI’mdowninTribeca
RightnexttoDeNirobutI’llbehoodforever
I’mthenewCSinatraandsinceImadeithere
Icanmakeitanywhere,yeah,theylovemeeverywhere
IusedtocopinGHarlem,holamyDominicanos
RightthereuponBroadway,broughtmebacktothatMcDonalds
TookittomyCstashspot,560Statestreet
CatchmeintheDkitchenlikeaSimmonswhippingpastry
CruisingdownG8thstreet
Off-whiteLexusdrivingsoslowbutBKisfromTexas
MeI’moutthatCBed-Stuy,homeofthatboyBiggie
NowIliveonBillboardandIbroughtmyboyswithme
DSaywhatupEmtoTyTy,stillsippingmaitais
SittingDcourtsideKnicksandNetsgivemehighfives
HomieIbeBSpikedout,Icantripareferee
TellbymyattitudethatImostdefinitelyfrom
CNewYork
DConcretejunglewheredreamsEmaremade,oh
There’snothingyouGcan’tdo
Nowyou’reinCNewYork
DThesestreetswillmakeyouEmfeelbrandnew
BiglightswillGinspireyou
Nowyou’reinCNewYork,NewYork,NewYork
DCatchmeatGtheXwithOGataYankeegame
Yeah,ImadetheYankeehatmorefamousthanaYankeecan
YoushouldknowICbleedBlue,butI’mnotaCrip,though
ButIgotagangofpeoplewalkingwithmycliquethough
DWelcometoGthemeltingpot,cornerswherewesellingrocks
AfrikaBambaataastuff,homeofthehip-hop
Yellowcab,Cgypsycab,dollarcab,hollaback
Forforeignersitain’tfair,theyactliketheyforgothowtoadd
8DmillionGstoriesoutthereinthenaked
City,it’sapityhalfofy’allwon’tmakeit
MeIgottaCplugSpecialEd“IGotItMade”
IfJeezy’spayingLeBron,I’mpayingDwyaneWade
D3EmdiceCee-lo,3cardMarley
LaborDayDParade,restinpeaceBobMarley
StatueofBLiberty,longlivetheWorldtrade
Longlivethekingyo,I’mfromtheEmpireof
CNewYork
DConcretejunglewheredreamsEmaremade,oh
There’snothingyouGcan’tdo
Nowyou’reinCNewYork
DThesestreetswillmakeyouEmfeelbrandnew
BiglightswillGinspireyou
Nowyou’reinCNewYork,NewYork,NewYork
CLightsisblinding,thegirlsneedblinders
SoDtheycanstepoutofboundsquick
ThesidelinesisEmlinedwithcasualties
Whosipthelifecasually,thenGgraduallybecomeworse
Don’tbitetheapple,Eve
CCaughtupinthein-crowd,nowyou’rein-style
AndintheDwintergetscoldenvoguewithyourskinout
TheEmcityofsinisapityonawhim
GoodGgirlsgonebad,thecity’sfilledwith’em
CMommytookabustripandnowshegotherbustout
DEverybodyrideher,justlikeabusroute
Em”HailMary”tothecity,you’reavirgin
AndGJesuscan’tsaveyou,lifestartswhenthechurchends
CBroughtupinschool,graduatedtothehighlife
DBallplayers,rapstars,addictedtothelimelight
Bgotyoufeelinglikeachampion
Thecityneversleeps,betterslipyouaAmbien
InCNewYork
DConcretejunglewheredreamsEmaremade,oh
There’snothingyouGcan’tdo
Nowyou’reinCNewYork
DThesestreetswillmakeyouEmfeelbrandnew
BiglightswillGinspireyou
Nowyou’reinCNewYork,NewYork,NewYork
COnehandintheairforthebigcity
Streetlights,bigdreamsalllookingpretty
DNoplaceintheworldthatcancompare
EmPutyourlightersintheair,everybodysayB”yeah!”
CNewYork
DConcretejunglewheredreamsEmaremade,oh
There’snothingyouGcan’tdo
Nowyou’reinCNewYork
DThesestreetswillmakeyouEmfeelbrandnew
BiglightswillGinspireyou
Nowyou’reinCNewYork,NewYork,DNewYork
EmNewYork
DConcretejunglewheredreamsCaremade,oh
There’snothingyoucan’tdo
Nowyou’reinEmNewYork
DThesestreetswillmakeyouCfeelbrandnew
Biglightswillinspireyou
Nowyou’reinCNewYorkD
Nowyou’reinEmNewGYork
Nowyou’reinCNewYorkD
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.
ArtistEd Sheeran
AlbumSingle
GenresPop
Year2013
KeyG
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Empire State Of Mind on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ed Sheeran - Empire State Of Mind on guitar requires 5 chords and 9 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.

Empire State Of Mind uses these transitions most often: C → D (22), G → C (18), and D → Em (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 G - C chord transition.

1. 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 18 times.

G to C

2. C → D chord transition

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

To move from C to D:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E 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 22 times.

C to D

3. D → G chord transition

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

Switching from D to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E 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 4 times.

D to G

4. D → Em chord transition

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

Switching from D to Em:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 16 times.

D to Em

5. D → B chord transition

Here's how to move from D to B:

  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 D string fret 4.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B 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 3 times.

6. B → C chord transition

Switching from B to C:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

7. Em → G chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 12 times.

8. Em → B chord transition

Here's how to move from Em to B:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

9. C → Em chord transition

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.

Empire State Of Mind chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Empire State Of Mind.

  • Empire State Of Mind includes 88 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Empire State Of Mind contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Empire State Of Mind 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 → D: 11%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Em: 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.