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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.

David Bowie - Life On Mars Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsF, Am, Cm, D, Gm, A#, C, G#, E, Fm, C#, A, D#, F#, D#m, F#m, Dm, A#m
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

FIt’saAmgod-awfulsmallaffairCm
TothegirlDwiththemousyhair
GmButherA#mummyisyelling“No”C
AndherdaddyhastoldhertogoF
FButherAmfriendisnowheretobeseenCm
NowsheDwalksthroughhersunkendream.
GmTotheseatA#withtheclearestviewC
Andshe’shookedtothesilverscreen
G#ButtheEfilmisasaddeningbore.Fm
Forshe’slivedG#ittentimesormore.
C#ShecouldAspitintheeyesoffools.Am
AstheyaskC#hertofocuson.
A#SailorsD#fightinginthedancehall.
GmOhman!F#lookatthosecavemengo.F
FmIt’sthefreakiestshow.Cm
D#mTakealookatthelawman.A#
D#Beatingupthewrongguy.
GmOhman! F#Wonderifhe’lleverknow.
FHe’sFminthebestsellingshow.Cm
D#mIstherelifeonGmMars?F#A#C
FF#mGmDmAmA#A#m
FIt’sonAmAmerika’storturedbrowCm
ThatMickeyDMousehasgrownupacow
GmNowthe A#workershavestruckforfameC
‘CauseLennon’sonsaleagainF
FSeetheAmmiceintheirmillionhordesCm
FromIbezaDtothenorfolkbroads
GmRule A#BritanniaisoutofboundsC
Tomymother,mydog,andclowns
G#ButtheEfilmisasaddeningbore.Fm
Forshe’slivedG#ittentimesormore.
C#ShecouldAspitintheeyesoffools.Am
AstheyaskC#hertofocuson.
A#SailorsD#fightinginthedancehall.
GmOhman!F#lookatthosecavemengo.F
FmIt’sthefreakiestshow.Cm
D#mTakealookatthelawman.A#
D#Beatingupthewrongguy.
GmOhman! F#Wonderifhe’lleverknow.
FHe’sFminthebestsellingshow.Cm
D#mIstherelifeonGmMars?F#A#C
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.
ArtistDavid Bowie
AlbumHunky Dory
GenresPop, Pop Rock, Rock
Year1971
KeyF
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Life On Mars on Guitar (Step-by-step)

David Bowie - Life On Mars on guitar requires 18 chords and 33 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.

Life On Mars uses these transitions most often: A# → C (6), Gm → F# (6), and A# → 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 F - Am chord transition.

1. F → Am chord transition

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

To move from F to Am:

  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. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

F to Am

2. Am → Cm chord transition

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

To move from Am to Cm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

Am to Cm

3. Cm → D chord transition

Guitar Cm chord diagram Fingering: x-3-1-0-1-3Guitar Cm chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from Cm to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

Cm to D

4. D → Gm chord transition

Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram

Switching from D to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

D to Gm

5. Gm → A# chord transition

Here's how to move from Gm to A#:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

6. A# → C chord transition

Switching from A# to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

7. C → F chord transition

To move from C to F:

  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.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

8. C → G# chord transition

Switching from C to G#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

9. G# → E chord transition

To move from G# to E:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

10. E → Fm chord transition

Switching from E to Fm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

11. Fm → G# chord transition

Switching from Fm to G#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

12. G# → C# chord transition

Here's how to move from G# to C#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

13. C# → A chord transition

Switching from C# to A:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

14. A → Am chord transition

Switching from A to Am:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

15. Am → C# chord transition

Switching from Am to C#:

  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 B string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on A string fret 4.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

16. C# → A# chord transition

Here's how to move from C# to A#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

17. A# → D# chord transition

To move from A# to D#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

18. D# → Gm chord transition

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

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

19. Gm → F# chord transition

Switching from Gm to F#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

20. F# → F chord transition

To move from F# to F:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

21. F → Fm chord transition

Here's how to move from F to Fm:

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

22. Fm → Cm chord transition

Here's how to move from Fm to Cm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

23. Cm → D#m chord transition

To move from Cm to D#m:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

24. D#m → A# chord transition

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

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

25. D#m → Gm chord transition

Switching from D#m to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

26. F# → A# chord transition

Here's how to move from F# to A#:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

27. F → F#m chord transition

To move from F to F#m:

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your index finger on E string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 4.
  4. Slide your pinky on D string from fret 3 to fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse.

28. F#m → Gm chord transition

To move from F#m to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

29. Gm → Dm chord transition

Switching from Gm to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

30. Dm → Am chord transition

Switching from Dm to Am:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

31. Am → A# chord transition

Here's how to move from Am to A#:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

32. A# → A#m chord transition

To move from A# to A#m:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

33. A#m → F chord transition

Switching from A#m to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

Life On Mars chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Life On Mars.

  • Life On Mars includes 90 chord transitions, 33 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Life On Mars contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Life On Mars connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → Am: 11%
    • F → Fm: 1%
    After Gm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (15%), F (12%), and Dm (10%).
    • Gm → Dm: 10%
    • Gm → A#: 6%
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.