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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.

Led Zeppelin - Going To California Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsD, G, Dm, A7, A
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

D
GSpentmydayswithawomanunkind,
SmokedmystuffanddrankallmyDwine.
GMadeupmymindtomakeanewstart,
GoingtoCaliforniawithanachinginmyDheart.
GSomeonetoldmetheresagirloutthere
WithloveinhereyesandflowersinherDhair.
DmGDDmGD
GTookmychancesonabigjetplane,
Neverletthemtellyouthatthey’realltheDsame.
GTheseawasredandtheskywasgrey,
Wonderedhowtomorrowcouldeverfollow Dtoday.
GThemountainsandthecanyonsstartedtotrembleandshake
Asthechildrenofthesunbeganto Dawake.
DmSeemsthatthewrathofthegods
Gotapunchonthenoseanditstartedtoflow;
IthinkImightbe A7sinking.
DmThrowmealineifIreachitintime
Illmeetyouuptherewherethepath
RunsstraightandA7highA
D
GTofindaqueenwithoutaking;
TheysaysheplaysguitarandcriesassheDsings.
GRideawhitemareinthefootstepsofdawn
Tryintofindawomanwho’snever,never,neverbeenDborn.
GStandingonahillinmymountainofdreams,
Tellingmyselfitsnotashard,hard,hardasitDseems.
DmGDDmGD
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.
ArtistLed Zeppelin
AlbumLed Zeppelin IV
GenresRock, Metal
Year1975
KeyD
DifficultyEasy

How to play Going To California on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Led Zeppelin - Going To California on guitar requires 5 chords and 7 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.

Going To California uses these transitions most often: G → D (13), D → G (9), and D → Dm (5). 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 - G chord transition.

1. 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

Here's how 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 verse, played 9 times.

D to G

2. D → Dm chord transition

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

Switching from D to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the interlude, played 5 times.

D to Dm

3. Dm → G chord transition

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

Switching from Dm to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from E 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. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the interlude, played 4 times.

Dm to G

4. Dm → A7 chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from Dm to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

Dm to A7

5. A7 → A chord transition

Switching from A7 to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

6. A → Dm chord transition

Switching from A to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

7. A → D chord transition

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 interlude.

Going To California chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Going To California.

  • Going To California includes 37 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Going To California contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Going To California 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 → G: 29%
    • D → Dm: 1%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • 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.