Paul Simon - Kodachrome Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram
[Opening]
[D] [G] [Em] [A7] [D] [Em] [A7]
When I think [D]back
on all the [D7]crap I learned in [G]high school
[Em]It’s a wonder
[A7]I can think at [D]all [Em] [A7]
And though my [D]lack of edu[D7]cation
hasn’t [G]hurt me none
[Em]I can read the [A]writing on the [D]wall [D7]
[chorus]
Koda[G]chr[B7]o[E7]me
You [E7]give us those [Am]nice bright [D]colors
You give us the [G]greens of [C]summers
Makes you [A]think all the [D]world’s a sunny [G]day, [B7]oh [E7]yeah!
[E7]I got a [Am]Nikon [D]camera
I love to take a [G]photo[C]graph
So Mama, don’t [A]take my [D]Kodachrome a[G]way [G] [Bm] [Em] [A] [A7]
[verse 2]
If you took [D]all the girls I [D7]knew
when I was [G]single
And [Em]brought them all to[A7]gether for one [D]night [Em] [A7]
I know they’d [D]never match
my [D7]sweet imagi[G]nation
[Em]And everything looks [A]worse in [A7]black and [D]white [D7]
[chorus]
Koda[G]chr[B7]o[E7]me
You [E7]give us those [Am]nice bright [D]colors
You give us the [G]greens of [C]summers
Makes you [A]think all the [D]world’s a sunny [G]day, [B7]oh [E7]yeah!
[E7]I got a [Am]Nikon [D]camera
I love to take a [G]photo[C]graph
So Mama, don’t [A]take my [D]Kodachrome a[G]way [G] [Bm] [Em]
[verse 3]
Mama, don’t [G]take my [Bm]Kodachrome a[Em]way
Mama, don’t [G]take my [Bm]Kodachrome a[Em]way
Mama, don’t [G]take my [Bm]Kodachrome a[Em]way
[verse 4]
[G]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
[Bm]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
[Em]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome (away)
[verse 5]
[G]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
([Bm]Leave your boy so far from home)
[Em]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome (away)
[Closing]
[G]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome [Bm]whew
[Em]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome (away)
[G] [Bm] [Em]
How to play Kodachrome on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Paul Simon - Kodachrome on guitar requires 11 chords and 18 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.
Kodachrome uses these transitions most often: Bm → Em (9), D → G (9), and G → Bm (9). 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 D - G chord transition.
1. 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.
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 → A7 chord transition
To move from Em to A7;
- While playing Em, lift your ring finger from D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
4. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
5. D → Em chord transition
To move from D to Em;
- While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
6. D → D7 chord transition
To move from D to D7;
- 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 G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.
7. D7 → G chord transition
To move from D7 to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
8. Em → A chord transition
To move from Em to A;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
9. A → D chord transition
To move from A to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
10. G → B7 chord transition
To move from G to B7;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place pinky on E string fret 2.
11. B7 → E7 chord transition
To move from B7 to E7;
- While playing B7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
12. E7 → Am chord transition
To move from E7 to Am;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on G string fret 2.
13. Am → D chord transition
To move from Am to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
14. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
15. C → A chord transition
To move from C to A;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.
16. G → Bm chord transition
To move from G to Bm;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to B string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
- Place pinky on G string fret 4.
17. Bm → Em chord transition
To move from Bm to Em;
- While playing Bm, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.
18. A → A7 chord transition
To move from A to A7;
- While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
Kodachrome chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Kodachrome.
- Kodachrome includes 102 chord transitions, 18 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Kodachrome contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Kodachrome connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
- G → C: 25%
- G → Em: 9%
After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).- D → G: 29%
- D → Em: 17%