Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
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.

Kaiser Chiefs - Roses Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsAm, G, F, Em, Dm, C
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 Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

[Opening]
[Am] [G] [F] [Em]
[Am]All the people
[G]All those ordinary lives
[F]Building on the outskirts of my [Em]mind
They [Am]ride the Iron Pilgrim
To [Em]holidays for the head
If [Dm]plans were hand grenades
We would all be [G]dead

[chorus]
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
There’s something that you should [Dm]know
Before you see the [Em]light, [G]oh
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
Places I have to [Dm]go
Before I see the [Em]light, [G]oh

[interlude]
[Am] [G] [F] [Em]

[verse 2]
[Am]Playing all five stages
The [G]festival of grief
[F]God and problems, what can stop them
[Em]Realize

[Closing]
The [Am]bottles in the drug store
Were [Em]all just piss and ink
The [Dm]flags you wore
Are rags under the [G]sink, now…

[chorus]
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
There’s something that you should [Dm]know
Before you see the [Em]light, [G]oh
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
Places I have to [Dm]go
Before I see the [Em]light, [G]oh

[interlude]
[Am] [G] [F] [Em]

[chorus]
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
There’s something that you should [Dm]know
Before you see the [Em]light, [G]oh
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
Places I have to [Dm]go
Before I see the [Em]light, [G]oh

[interlude]
[Am] [G] [F] [Em]

[chorus]
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
There’s something that you should [Dm]know
Before you see the [Em]light, [G]oh
It’s [C]dark, it’s dark where the roses [Em]grow
Places I have to [Dm]go
Before I see the [Em]light, [G]oh

[outro]
[Am] [G] [F] [Em] [C]

Report Error
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.
ArtistKaiser Chiefs
AlbumEducation, Education, Education & War
GenresAlternative, Indie
Year2014
KeyAm

How to play Roses on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Kaiser Chiefs - Roses on guitar requires 6 chords and 9 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: Em → Dm (10), C → Em (8), and Dm → Em (8). 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 → Em chord transition

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

To move from F to Em;

  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 A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
F to Em

4. Em → Am chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

To move from Em to Am;

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

5. Em → Dm chord transition

To move from Em to Dm;

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

6. Dm → G chord transition

To move from Dm to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from E 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. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

7. G → C chord transition

To move from G 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 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

8. C → Em chord transition

To move from C to Em;

  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 A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

9. Em → G chord transition

To move from Em to G;

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

Roses chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Roses.

  • Roses includes 76 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Roses contains 4 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 → G: 18%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Am: 13%
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.