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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.

Metallica - Enter Sandman Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsE, A, G, F, B
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

  • Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram

[Opening]
[E] [A] [E] [E] [G] [F] [G] [F] [E]
Say your prayers, [F]little one, don’t forget, my [F]son,
To include [G]everyone [F] [G] [F]
[E]tuck you in, warm [F]within, keep you free from [F]sin
Till the sandman [G]he comes [F] [G] [F]
[F]Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight

[chorus]
[F]Ex[B]it [F] [B]light, [F]En[B]ter [E]night
[F] [B]Take my [E]hand, we’re [G]off to [F]never ne[G]ver[F]land[E]

[verse 2]
Something’s wrong, [F]shut the light, heavy thoughts [F]tonight
And they aren’t [G]of snow white, [F] [G] [F]
[E]dreams of war, [F]dreams of liars, dreams of dragon’s [F]fire
And of things [G]that will bite
[F]Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight

[chorus]
[F]Ex[B]it [F] [B]light, [F]En[B]ter [E]night
[F] [B]Take my [E]hand, we’re [G]off to [F]never ne[G]ver[F]land[E]

[verse 3]
[E] [G] [F] [E] [G] [F] [G] [F]
[F] [B] [F] [B] [F] [B] [E] [F] [B] [E] [E] [E]
[E]Hush little baby, don’t say a word, and never mind that noise you heard
[E]It’s just the beasts under your bed, [F]in your closet, in your head

[Closing]
[F]Ex[B]it [F] [B]light, [F]En[B]ter [E]night, [F] [B]grain of [E]sand
[F]Ex[B]it [F] [B]light, [F]En[B]ter [E]night
[F] [B]Take my [E]hand, we’re [G]off to [F]never ne[G]ver[F]land[E]

[outro]
[E] [E] [G] [E] [F]

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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.
ArtistMetallica
AlbumMetallica
GenresAlternative, Hard Rock, Indie, Rock, Metal
Year1991
KeyE

How to play Enter Sandman on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Metallica - Enter Sandman 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.

Enter Sandman uses these transitions most often: F → B (20), G → F (18), and E → F (12). 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 E - A chord transition.

1. E → A chord transition

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

To move from E 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. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
E to A

2. E → G chord transition

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

To move from E to G;

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

3. G → F chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from G to F;

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

4. F → E chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram

To move from F to E;

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

5. F → B chord transition

To move from F to B;

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

6. B → E chord transition

To move from B to E;

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

Enter Sandman chord transition analysis

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

  • Enter Sandman includes 99 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Enter Sandman contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Enter Sandman connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → G: 21%
    • F → E: 1%
    After E, the most likely next chords across Chordier are A (25%), D (14%), and B (11%).
    • E → A: 25%
    • E → G: 4%
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.