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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.

Bread - If Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsA, Amaj7, A7, D, Dm, E7, F#m, C#7, Bm, Em, F#7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-1-2-0Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram
  • Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram
  • 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
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 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
  • Guitar C#7 | D♭7 chord diagram Fingering: x-4-3-4-2-xGuitar C#7 | D♭7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar F#7 | G♭7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-4-2-3-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar F#7 | G♭7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[A] [Amaj7] [A7] [D] [Dm] [A] [Dm] [E7]
If a [A]picture paints a [Amaj7]thousand words
Then [A7]why can’t I paint [D]you?
The [Dm]words will never [A]show,
The [Dm]you I’ve come to [E7]know

[verse 2]
If a [A]face could launch a [Amaj7]thousand ships
Then [A7]where am I to [D]go?
There’s [Dm]no one home but [A]you,
You’re [Dm]all that’s left me [E7]too

[verse 3]
And [F#m]when my [C#7]love for [A]life is running [Bm]dry
You [Em]come and [F#7]pour your[Bm]self on [E7]me

[verse 4]
If a [A]man could be two [Amaj7]places
At one [A7]time, I’d be with [D]you
To[Dm]morrow and to[A]day,
Be[Dm]side you all the [E7]way

[verse 5]
If the [A]world should stop rev[Amaj7]olving
Spinning [A7]slowly down to [D]die
I’d [Dm]spend the end with [A]you
And [Dm]when the world was [E7]through

[Closing]
Then [F#m]one by [C#7]one the [A]stars would all go [Bm]out
Then [Em]you and [F#7]I would [Bm]simply [E7]fly
a[A]wa[D] [Dm] [A]ay

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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.
ArtistBread
AlbumManna
GenresPop
Year1971
KeyA

How to play If on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Bread - If on guitar requires 11 chords and 16 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.

If uses these transitions most often: D → Dm (6), Dm → A (6), and A → Amaj7 (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 A - Amaj7 chord transition.

1. A → Amaj7 chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-1-2-0Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram

To move from A to Amaj7;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on B string fret 2.
A to Amaj7

2. Amaj7 → A7 chord transition

Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-1-2-0Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram

To move from Amaj7 to A7;

  1. While playing Amaj7, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
Amaj7 to A7

3. A7 → D chord transition

Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from A7 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 B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
A7 to D

4. 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

To move 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.
D to Dm

5. Dm → A chord transition

To move 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.

6. Dm → E7 chord transition

To move from Dm to E7;

  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 G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.

7. E7 → A chord transition

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.

8. E7 → F#m chord transition

To move from E7 to F#m;

  1. While playing E7, lift your middle finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 4.

9. F#m → C#7 chord transition

To move from F#m to C#7;

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

10. C#7 → A chord transition

To move from C#7 to A;

  1. While playing C#7, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 4 and place it on B string fret 2.

11. A → Bm chord transition

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.

12. Bm → Em chord transition

To move from Bm to Em;

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

13. Em → F#7 chord transition

To move from Em to F#7;

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

14. F#7 → Bm chord transition

To move from F#7 to Bm;

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

15. Bm → E7 chord transition

To move from Bm to E7;

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

16. 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.

If chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in If.

  • If includes 59 chord transitions, 16 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • If contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how If 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 → Bm: 8%
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → A: 3%
    • Dm → E7: 2%
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.