James Arthur - Roses Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
[Opening]
[C]I could’ve [G]chose anybody but I [Em]chose you, ooh [D]ooh
[C]Help me get better, you [G]pull me right out of the [Em]blue, oh [D]oh
And [C]Daddy don’t like you but [G]Daddy and I never [Em]speak, ee [D]ee
Every [C]night when I wake up I [G]need you to get back to [Em]sleep, ee [D]ee
[chorus]
Smells like [C]roses to [G]me, two young [Em]lovers at [D]sea
Tastes so [C]bitter and so [G]sweet
You’re [Em]my bang, together we go [D]bang bang bang [C]
[G]Bang bang bang, [Em] [D]bang bang bang, [C] [G]oh oh, [Em]oh oh [D]
[verse 2]
[C]You could’ve [G]chose anybody but you [Em]chose me, ee [D]ee
[C]Hiding in bed since [G]‘cause no one around [Em]disagrees, ee [D]ee
And [C]I feel romantic and since [G]morning I’ve been [Em]acting wild, I, [D]I
Shall we [C]eat all the poison and [G]leave all the questions [Em]behind? I, [D]I
[chorus]
Smells like [C]roses to [G]me, two young [Em]lovers at [D]sea
Tastes so [C]bitter and so [G]sweet
You’re [Em]my baby, together we go [D]bang bang bang [C]
[G]Bang bang bang, [Em] [D]bang bang bang, [C] [G]oh oh, [Em]oh oh [D]
[Closing]
And all the [C]chemicals and alcohol will [G]make for a volatile [Em]love
[Em]But stay with me, [D]just stay with me
And I [C]never wanna lose you but I [G]feel that this closeness will [Em]tear us apart
[Em]But stay with me, [D]stay with me, [C]bang, bang, [G]bang [Em]
[C]Bang, bang, [G]bang [Em] [C]bang, bang, [G]bang [Em] [D]
[chorus]
Smells like [C]roses to [G]me, two young [Em]lovers at [D]sea
Tastes so [C]bitter and so [G]sweet
You’re [Em]my baby, together we go [D]bang bang bang [C]
[G]Bang bang bang, [Em] [D]bang bang bang [C]
[G]Oh oh, [Em]oh oh [D] [G]
How to play Roses on Guitar (Step-by-step)
James Arthur - Roses on guitar requires 4 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.
Roses uses these transitions most often: C → G (25), G → Em (25), and Em → D (23). 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 C - G chord transition.
1. C → G chord transition
To move from C to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
2. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
3. Em → D chord transition
To move from Em to D;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Place index finger on G string fret 2.
4. D → C chord transition
To move from D to C;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
5. Em → C chord transition
To move from Em to C;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on B string fret 1.
6. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
Roses chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Roses.
- Roses includes 98 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Roses contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Roses connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
- Em → C: 26%
- Em → D: 17%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → Em: 9%