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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.

Alec Benjamin - I Built A Friend Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsA, F#m, D, E7
Strumming↓-↑-↓-↑

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

IbuiltaAfriend,withthreepiecesofplasticandaF#mpen,
ImadehimonthetableintheDden,
IgavehimmyoldcellphoneforaAhead,foraE7head.
AndweAspentholidaysinmyhouse,andweF#mleftpresentsinthestocking,
AndweDboughtboltsandthingsandstringsandanewAwatch,that’swhatheE7got.
DAndwehadsomuchfuntogether,Aweknewwe’dbeE7friendsforever.
DAndwehadsomuchfuntogether,AwehadsomuchE7fun.
ThenIAleftforcollegeinSeptember,andweF#mweptcausewecan’tbetogether
SoIDkeptpicturestoremembermyoldAfriend,myoldE7friend.
ThenIAmetthisgirlatgraduation,andF#mforgetmyoldestcreation
AndIDguessI’llseehimnextvacation,sendmyAbest,IsendmyE7best
DAndwehadsomuchfuntogether,Aweknewwe’dbeE7friendsforever.
DAndwehadsomuchfuntogether,AwehadsomuchE7fun.
IcameAhometofindhimonthetablewithaF#mnote
ScribbledoutinpencilandheDwrote
Thathejustwasn’tstableallAalone,allE7alone.
NexttoAhim,anemptyglassofwaterthatheF#mspilled
AlloverthebodythatIDbuilt,
ItfizzledanditpoppedandthenitAkilled,andthenitE7killed.
DAndwehadsomuchfuntogether,Awethoughtwe’dE7befriendsforever.
DAndwehadsomuchfuntogether,AwehadsomuchE7fun.
IbuiltaAfriend.
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.
ArtistAlec Benjamin
AlbumI Built A Friend
GenresPop
Year2020
KeyA
DifficultyEasy

How to play I Built A Friend on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Alec Benjamin - I Built A Friend on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 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.

I Built A Friend uses these transitions most often: A → E7 (12), D → A (12), and A → F#m (6). 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 A - F#m chord transition.

1. A → F#m chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram Fingering: 2-4-4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram

Here's how to move from A to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

A to F#m

2. F#m → D chord transition

Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram Fingering: 2-4-4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

Here's how to move from F#m to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

F#m to D

3. D → A chord transition

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

Here's how to move from D to A:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to 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 12 times.

D to A

4. A → E7 chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from A to E7:

  1. While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 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, played 12 times.

A to E7

5. E7 → D chord transition

Here's how to move from E7 to D:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

I Built A Friend chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in I Built A Friend.

  • I Built A Friend includes 48 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • I Built A Friend contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how I Built A Friend 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 → F#m: 6%
    • A → E7: 4%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → A: 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.