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David Mallett - I Knew This Place Chords

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ChordsF, Bb, Gm, C
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to D,A,G keys to play this song with easier chords.

  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

[Opening]
I [F]knew this place, I knew it well, [Bb]every sound and [F]every smell,
And [Bb]every time I [F]walked I fell, for the [Gm]first two years or [C]so.
[F]There across the grassy yard, [Bb]I a young one [F]runnin’ hard.
[Bb]Brown and bruised and [F]battle scarred and [Bb]lost in [C]sweet il[F]lusion.

[verse 2]
And [F]from my window I can see the [Bb]fingers of an [F]ancient tree.
[Bb]Reaching out it [F]calls to me to [Gm]climb its surly [C]branches.
But [F]all my climbing days are gone, and [Bb]these tired legs I’m [F]standin’ on
Would [Bb]scarcely dare to [F]leave the spot u[Bb]pon which [C]they are [F]standin’.

[verse 3]
And [C]I remember [Bb]every word of [Gm]every voice I [F]ever heard,
[Bb]Every frog and [F]every bird, yes, [Gm]this is where it [C]starts.
A [F]brother’s laugh, the sighing wind, [Bb]this is where my [F]life begins.
[Bb]This is where I [F]learned to use my [Bb]hands and [C]hear my [F]heart.

[verse 4]
This [F]house is old, it carries on, like [Bb]verses to an [F]old time song,
[Bb]Always changed but [F]never gone, this [Gm]house can stand the [C]seasons.
Our [F]lives pass on from door to door, [Bb]dust a crossed the [F]wooden floor,
Like [Bb]feather rain and [F]thunder roar, we [Bb]need not [C]know the [F]reason.

[verse 5]
And [C]as these thoughts come [Bb]back to me like [Gm]ships across a [F]friendly sea,
Like [Bb]breezes blowing [F]endlessly, like [Gm]rivers running [C]deep.
The [F]day is done. The lights are low, the [Bb]wheels of life are [F]turning slow
And [Bb]as these visions [F]turn and go, I [Bb]lay me [C]down to [F]sleep.

[Closing]
I [F]knew this place, I knew it well, [Bb]every sound and [F]every smell,
And [Bb]every time I [F]walked I fell, for the [Gm]first two years or [C]so.
[F]The day is done. The lights are low, the [Bb]wheels of life are [F]turning slow
And [Bb]as these visions [F]turn and go, I [Bb]lay me [C]down to [F]sleep.

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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.
ArtistDavid Mallett
AlbumDavid Mallett
GenresFolk
Year1978
KeyF

How to play I Knew This Place on Guitar (Step-by-step)

David Mallett - I Knew This Place on guitar requires 4 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.

I Knew This Place uses these transitions most often: F → Bb (28), Bb → F (22), and C → 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 F - Bb chord transition.

1. F → Bb chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from F to Bb;

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

2. F → Gm chord transition

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

To move from F to Gm;

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

3. Gm → C chord transition

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

To move from Gm to C;

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

4. C → F chord transition

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

To move 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.
C to F

5. Bb → C chord transition

To move from Bb to C;

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

6. Bb → Gm chord transition

To move from Bb to Gm;

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

I Knew This Place chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in I Knew This Place.

  • I Knew This Place includes 88 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • I Knew This Place contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how I Knew This Place 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 → C: 40%
    • F → Bb: 5%
    After Bb, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (34%), C (20%), and Dm (9%).
    • Bb → F: 34%
    • Bb → C: 20%
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.