Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
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.

Flanders and Swann - The Gnu Song Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, G, Dm, B7, Em, F, Am, A, E7, Bm, F#, Ab, F#m, D, Cm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

CAyearago,lastThursday,IwasGstrollinginthezoo
whenIDmmetamanwhoGthoughheknewtheClot.
HewasB7layingdowntheEmlawaboutthehabitsofB7baboons
AndthenumberofDmquillsaporcupinehasGgot.
SoIaskedhim:
C“What’sthatcreatureGthere?”
HeDmanswered,“Oh,it’saFh’Elk”
IEmmightofgoneonAmthinkingthatwasDmtrue
Iftheanimalinquestionhadn’tAputthatchaptoAmshame
And Emremarked, F“Ih’aintah’Elk,I’ma E7Gnu”
A“I’maGnu,I’maGnu
ThegnicestworkofgnatureintheBmzoo
I’maGnu,F#howdoyouBmdo
YouF#reallyoughttoknowwho’s Bmwho’s
AI’maGnu,speltGNU
I’m E7gnotaCamelAoraKangaroo
GSoBmletme Abintroduce
I’m GgneithermanorF#mmoose
Oh B7gno EmgnognoI’ma AGnu”
DGDEmFAG
CWell,
IhadtakenfurnishedCmlodgingsdownatGRustingtononSea
AWhenceItravelledAmonto BmAshtonunderLyne
AndtheB7secondnightIEmstayedthereIwasB7wokenfromadream
ThatI’llDmtellyouallaboutsomeotherGtime
AmongthehuntingCtrophiesonthewallabovemyGbed
CStuffedandFmounted,wasaEmfaceIthoughtIDmknew;
ABison?No,it’snotaBison.
AnOkapi?Unlikely,CoulditAbeaAmHartebeest?
WhenIthoughIheardavoice…
A“I’maGnu,I’maGnu,agnothergnu
IwishIcouldgnashmyteethatBmyou
I’maGnu,F#howdoyouBmdo
YouF#reallyoughttoknowwho’s Bmwho’s
AI’maGnu,speltGNU
CallmeE7BisonorOkapiandI’llAsue
B7GnoramItheleastlikethatAmdreadfulHartebeest,
Oh B7gno EmgnognoI’ma AGnu
B7gno EmgnognoI’ma AGnu
B7gno EmgnognoI’ma AGnu”
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.
ArtistFlanders and Swann
AlbumSingle
GenresPop
Year1965
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play The Gnu Song on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Flanders and Swann - The Gnu Song on guitar requires 15 chords and 34 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.

The Gnu Song uses these transitions most often: B7 → Em (6), G → C (5), and Bm → F# (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 C - G chord transition.

1. C → G chord transition

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

Here's how to move from C 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 A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

C to G

2. G → Dm chord transition

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

Switching from G to Dm:

  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 B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

G to Dm

3. C → B7 chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram

Switching from C to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

C to B7

4. B7 → Em chord transition

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

Here's how to move from B7 to Em:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

B7 to Em

5. B7 → Dm chord transition

Switching from B7 to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

6. Dm → F chord transition

To move from Dm to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

7. F → Em chord transition

Switching from F to Em:

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G 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, played 2 times.

8. Em → Am chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

9. Am → Dm chord transition

To move from Am to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

10. Dm → A chord transition

Switching from Dm to A:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Keep middle finger on 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 2 times.

11. A → Am chord transition

Switching from A to Am:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

12. F → E7 chord transition

Switching from F to E7:

  1. While playing F, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  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.

This transition appears in the verse.

13. E7 → A chord transition

Here's how 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 3 times.

14. A → Bm chord transition

Here's how to move from A to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

15. Bm → F# chord transition

Switching from Bm to F#:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

16. A → G chord transition

To move from A to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

17. G → Bm chord transition

Here's how to move from G to Bm:

  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 B string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E 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.

18. Bm → Ab chord transition

Here's how to move from Bm to Ab:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

19. Ab → G chord transition

Here's how to move from Ab to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

20. G → F#m chord transition

To move from G to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

21. F#m → B7 chord transition

Switching 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.

22. Em → A chord transition

Here's how to move from Em to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

23. A → D chord transition

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 interlude.

24. D → G chord transition

To move 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 interlude.

25. D → Em chord transition

Here's how to move 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 interlude.

26. F → A chord transition

Here's how to move from F to A:

  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 D string fret 2.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the interlude.

27. C → Cm chord transition

Here's how to move from C to Cm:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

28. Cm → G chord transition

To move from Cm to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

29. Am → Bm chord transition

Switching from Am to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

30. Bm → B7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Bm to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

31. C → F chord transition

Switching from C to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

32. Em → Dm chord transition

Switching from Em to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

33. A → B7 chord transition

Here's how 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 3 times.

34. B7 → Am chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

The Gnu Song chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Gnu Song.

  • The Gnu Song includes 84 chord transitions, 34 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • The Gnu Song contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how The Gnu Song 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 → G: 13%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → D: 24%
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.