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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.

DmE7A7D7D7G7Gm7C7
FIcouldshowtheworldhowtoF7smile
IcouldbeBbgladalloftheBbmwhile
FIcouldturntheFgreyskiestoGm7blue
C7ifIChadFyouFGm7C7
FIcouldleavetheolddays F7behind
LeaveallmyBbpals,I’dneverBbmmind
FIcouldstartmyFlifeallaGm7new
C7ifIChadFyou{234}DmE7
AmIcouldclimbthesnow-cappedDmmountainsE7
AmSailthemightyDmoceanE7wide
AmIcouldcrosstheburningDmdesert
AmIfIhadyouGm7bymyC7side{234}
FIcouldbeaking,dear, F7uncrowned
HumbleorBbpoor,richor Bbmrenowned
FThereisnothingFIcouldn’tGm7do
C7ifIChadFyouBbBbmF
AlbumSingle
GenresPop
Year2008
KeyDm
DifficultyAdvanced

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

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

Dm to E7

2. E7 → A7 chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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.

This transition appears in the verse.

D7 to G7

5. G7 → Gm7 chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

7. C7 → F chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

8. F → F7 chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

9. F7 → Bb chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

11. Bbm → F chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

12. F → Gm7 chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

13. C7 → C chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse.

16. E7 → Am chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

18. Am → Gm7 chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

19. F → Bb chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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 (35%), F (14%), and C (13%).
    • Gm7 → C7: 35%