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Ella Fitzgerald - It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsAm, G, F, F7, E7, E, Am7, D7, G7, C, Gm7, C7, Fmaj7
Strumming↓-↓-↓-↓↑

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

  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G 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 E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram
  • Guitar Am7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-1-0Guitar Am7 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 C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C 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 Fmaj7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-3-2-1-0Guitar Fmaj7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[Am]What good is [G]melody, [F]what good is [F7]mu[E7]sic
[Am]If it ain’t [G]possessin’ [F]something [F7]sweet? [E7]
[Am]It ain’t the [G]melody, [F]it ain’t the [F7]mu[E7]sic
There’s [Am]something else
that [G]makes the [F]tune com[F7]plete. [E7]

[verse 2]
It [Am]don’t mean a [E]thing,
if it [Am7]ain’t got that [Am]swing
[D7]Doo wat doo wat, [G7]doo wat doo wat,
[C]doo wat doo wat. [F7] [E7]
It [Am]don’t mean a [E]thing,
all you [Am7]got to do is [Am]sing
[D7]Doo wat doo wat, [G7]doo wat doo wat,
[C]doo wat doo wat, doo wat doo wat.

[verse 3]
[Gm7]It makes no [C7]diff’rence
if that [Fmaj7]rhythm’s sweet or hot,
[Am7]Just give that [D7]rhythm
[G7]ev’rything you [F7]got. [E7]

[verse 4]
It [Am]don’t mean a [E]thing,
[F]if it [Am7]ain’t got that [Am]swing
[D7]Doo wat doo wat, [G7]doo wat doo wat,
[C]doo wat doo wat, [C]doo wat doo wat,

[Closing]
[D7]Doo wat doo wat, [F]doo wat doo wat,
doo[C]waaaa.

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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.
ArtistElla Fitzgerald
AlbumElla and Duke at the Cote D'Azur
GenresJazz
Year1967
KeyAm

How to play It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ella Fitzgerald - It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing on guitar requires 13 chords and 23 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.

It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing uses these transitions most often: E7 → Am (6), F7 → E7 (6), and Am → G (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 Am - G chord transition.

1. Am → G chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from Am to G;

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

2. G → F chord transition

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

To move from G to F;

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

3. F → F7 chord transition

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

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.
F to F7

4. F7 → E7 chord transition

Guitar F7 chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-1-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F7 chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram

To move from F7 to E7;

  1. While playing F7, lift your ring finger from A 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.
F7 to E7

5. 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.

6. Am → E chord transition

To move from Am to E;

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

7. E → Am7 chord transition

To move from E to Am7;

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

8. Am7 → Am chord transition

To move from Am7 to Am;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 2.

9. Am → D7 chord transition

To move from Am to D7;

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

10. 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.

11. G7 → C chord transition

To move from G7 to C;

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

12. C → F7 chord transition

To move from C to F7;

  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.

13. C → Gm7 chord transition

To move from C to Gm7;

  1. While playing C, 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 A string fret 3 to D string fret 3.

14. 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.

15. C7 → Fmaj7 chord transition

To move from C7 to Fmaj7;

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

16. Fmaj7 → Am7 chord transition

To move from Fmaj7 to Am7;

  1. While playing Fmaj7, lift your ring finger from D string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  3. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.

17. Am7 → D7 chord transition

To move from Am7 to D7;

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

18. G7 → F7 chord transition

To move from G7 to F7;

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

19. E → F chord transition

To move from E to F;

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

20. F → Am7 chord transition

To move from F to Am7;

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

21. C → D7 chord transition

To move from C to D7;

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

22. D7 → F chord transition

To move from D7 to F;

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

23. F → C chord transition

To move from F to C;

  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 B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing.

  • It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing includes 54 chord transitions, 23 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Am, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).
    • Am → G: 21%
    • Am → D7: 2%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → F7: 1%
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.