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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.

Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, C, D7, B7, Em, A7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

GHelloMaryLou,CGoodbyeheart
SweetGMaryLouI’msoinlovewithD7you
IGknewMaryLouB7we’dneverEmpart
So A7“HelloMaryD7Lou,goodbyeGheart”CG
GYoupassedmebyonesunnyday
CFlashedthosebigbrowneyesmyway
AndGooIwantedyouforeverD7more
NowGI’mnotonethatgetsaround
ICswearmyfeetstucktotheground
AndGthoughIneverD7didmeetyou GbeforeCG
Isaid“HelloMaryLou,CGoodbyeheart
SweetGMaryLouI’msoinlovewithD7you
IGknewMaryLouB7we’dneverEmpart
So A7“HelloMaryD7Lou,goodbyeGheart”CG
IGsawyourlipsIheardyourvoice
CbelievemeIjusthadnochoice
WildGhorsescouldn’tmakemestay D7away
IGthoughtaboutamoonlitnight
MyCarmsaboutgoodan’tight
That’sGallIhadtoD7seeformetoGsayCG
IsaidHelloMaryLou,CGoodbyeheart
SweetGMaryLouI’msoinlovewithD7you
IGknewMaryLouB7we’dneverEmpart
So A7“HelloMaryD7Lou,goodbyeGheart.”
Isaid, A7“HelloMaryD7Lou,goodbyeGheart”CG
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.
ArtistRicky Nelson
AlbumRick Is 21
GenresPop, Rock and roll, Rockabilly
Year1961
KeyG
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Hello Mary Lou on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou on guitar requires 6 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.

Hello Mary Lou uses these transitions most often: C → G (12), G → C (12), and D7 → G (11). 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

Switching 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 chorus, played 12 times.

G to C

2. G → D7 chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram

To move from G to D7:

  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 G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 2.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 7 times.

G to D7

3. G → B7 chord transition

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

Switching from G to B7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

G 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 chorus, played 3 times.

B7 to Em

5. Em → A7 chord transition

Switching from Em to A7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

6. A7 → D7 chord transition

To move from A7 to D7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

7. G → A7 chord transition

To move from G to A7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

Hello Mary Lou chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Hello Mary Lou.

  • Hello Mary Lou includes 56 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Hello Mary Lou contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Hello Mary Lou connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → D7: 1%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
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.