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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.

Frank Sinatra - It Was a Very Good Year Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsDm, D#, F, D, C
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

WhenIwasDmseventeenitwasaD#verygoodyear,
ItwasaDmverygoodyear
ForFsmalltowngirlsandD#softsummernights.
We’dDhidefromthelights
OntheCvillagegreenwhenIwasDseventeen.
WhenIwasDmtwentyone,itwasaD#verygoodyear,
ItwasaDmverygoodyear
ForFcitygirlswhoD#livedupthestair,
WithDperfumedhair
ThatCcameundone,whenIwasDtwenty-one.
WhenIwasDmthirty-fiveitwasaDmverygoodyear,
ItwasaDmverygoodyear
ForFbluebloodedgirlsofD#independantmeans.
We’dDrideinlimousines
TheirCchauffeurswoulddrivewhenIwasDthirty-five.
ButnowtheDmdaysareshort,I’mintheD#autumnoftheyear,
AndnowIDmthinkofmylife
As FvintagewinefromD#oldkegs,
FromtheDbrimtothedregs
ItpouredCsweetandclear;itwasaDverygoodyear!
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.
ArtistFrank Sinatra
AlbumSeptember of My Years
GenresJazz
Year1965
KeyDm
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play It Was a Very Good Year on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Frank Sinatra - It Was a Very Good Year on guitar requires 5 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.

It Was a Very Good Year uses these transitions most often: C → D (4), D → C (4), and D# → D (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 - D# chord transition.

1. Dm → D# chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram

Switching from Dm to D#:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

Dm to D#

2. Dm → F chord transition

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

To move from Dm to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from E 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 B string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

Dm to F

3. F → D# chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram

Switching from F to D#:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

F to D#

4. D# → D chord transition

Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

Here's how to move from D# to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

D# to D

5. D → C chord transition

Here's how to move from D to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

6. D → Dm chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

It Was a Very Good Year chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in It Was a Very Good Year.

  • It Was a Very Good Year includes 29 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • It Was a Very Good Year contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how It Was a Very Good Year connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → F: 14%
    • Dm → D#: 0%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → C: 14%
    • D → Dm: 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.