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Nellie McKay - If I Had You Chords

ChordsDm, E7, A7, D7, G7, Gm7, C7, F, F7, Bb, Bbm, C, Am
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • 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 A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Gm7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-x-3-3-3-x Barre at fret 3.Guitar Gm7 chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar F7 chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-1-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F7 chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar A#m | B♭m chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-2-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A#m | B♭m chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram


[Dm] [E7] [A7] [D7] [D7] [G7] [Gm7] [C7]
[F]I could show the world how to [F7]smile
I could be [Bb]glad all of the [Bbm]while
[F]I could turn the [F]grey skies to [Gm7]blue
[C7]if I [C]had [F]you [F] [Gm7] [C7]


[F]I could leave the old days be[F7]hind
Leave all my [Bb]pals, I’d never [Bbm]mind
[F]I could start my [F]life all a [Gm7]new
[C7]if I [C]had [F]you {234} [Dm] [E7]


[Am]I could climb the snow-capped [Dm]mountains [E7]
[Am]Sail the mighty [Dm]ocean [E7]wide
[Am]I could cross the burning [Dm]desert
[Am]If I had you [Gm7]by my [C7]side {234}


[F]I could be a king, dear, un[F7]crowned
Humble or [Bb]poor, rich or re[Bbm]nowned
[F]There is nothing [F]I couldn’t [Gm7]do
[C7]if I [C]had [F]you [Bb] [Bbm] [F]

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AlbumSingle
GenresPop
Year2008
KeyDm

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

Nellie McKay - If I Had You on guitar requires 13 chords and 19 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 I Had You uses these transitions most often: Gm7 → C7 (6), Bb → Bbm (4), and Bbm → F (4). 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 Dm - E7 chord transition.

1. 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.
Dm to E7

2. E7 → A7 chord transition

To move from E7 to A7;

  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 B string fret 2.
E7 to A7

3. 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.
A7 to D7

4. D7 → G7 chord transition

To move from D7 to G7;

  1. Lift your index finger from B 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. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 1.
D7 to G7

5. G7 → Gm7 chord transition

To move from G7 to Gm7;

  1. While playing G7, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 3.

6. Gm7 → C7 chord transition

To move from Gm7 to C7;

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

7. C7 → F chord transition

To move from C7 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. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.

8. F → F7 chord transition

To move from F to F7;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

9. F7 → Bb chord transition

To move from F7 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. Place pinky on B string fret 3.

10. Bb → Bbm chord transition

To move from Bb to Bbm;

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

11. Bbm → F chord transition

To move from Bbm to F;

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

12. F → Gm7 chord transition

To move from F to Gm7;

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

13. C7 → C chord transition

To move from C7 to C;

  1. While playing C7, lift your pinky from G string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

14. C → F chord transition

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.

15. F → Dm chord transition

To move from F to Dm;

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

16. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am;

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

17. Am → Dm chord transition

To move from Am to Dm;

  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. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.

18. Am → Gm7 chord transition

To move from Am to Gm7;

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

19. F → Bb chord transition

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.

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

  • If I Had You includes 51 chord transitions, 19 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • If I Had You contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how If I Had You 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 → Dm: 5%
    • F → Bb: 5%
    After Gm7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C7 (40%), C (15%), and F (9%).
    • Gm7 → C7: 40%