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Creedence Clearwater Revival - Looking Out My Back Door Chords

ChordsG, Em, C, D, F#, F, E7, A, F#m
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

GEmCGDG
GJustgothomefromIllinoisEmlockthefrontdoor,ohboy
CGottositGdowntakeaDrestontheporch
GImaginationsetsinEmprettysoonI’msinging
Cdoo,doo,Gdoo,lookin’DoutmybackGdoor
There’saGgiantdoingcartwheelsEmastatuewearin’highheels
ClookatalltheGhappycreaturesDdancingonthelawn
GAdinosaurVictrola,EmlisteningtoBuckOwens
Cdoo,doo,Gdoo,lookin’DoutmybackGdoor
DTambourinesandelephantsareCplayingintheGband
won’tyouEmtakearideontheflyin’Dspoon?(doodoodoo)
GWond’rousapparition,Emprovidedbymagician,
Cdoo,doo,Gdoo,lookin’DoutmybackGdoor
DTambourinesandelephantsareCplayingintheGband
won’tyouEmtakearideontheflyin’Dspoon?(doodoodoo)
GBothermetomorrow, EmtodayI’llbuynosorrows
Cdoo,doo,Gdoo,lookin’DoutmybackGdoor
GGF#F
E7DAF#mE7
AForwardtroublesIllinois,F#mlockthefrontdoor,ohboy
DLookatalltheAhappycreaturesE7dancingonthelawn
ABothermetomorrow, F#mtodayI’llbuynosorrows
Ddoo,doo,Adoo,lookin’E7outmybackAdoorA
AlbumCosmo's Factory
Year1970
KeyG
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Looking Out My Back Door on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Looking Out My Back Door on guitar requires 9 chords and 15 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.

Looking Out My Back Door uses these transitions most often: C → G (9), D → G (9), and G → D (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 G - Em chord transition.

1. G → Em chord transition

Switching from G to Em:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

G to Em

2. Em → C chord transition

To move from Em to C:

  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 A string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

Em to C

3. C → G chord transition

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

C to G

4. G → D chord transition

Switching from G to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

G to D

5. D → C chord transition

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 2 times.

6. Em → D chord transition

Switching from Em to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

7. G → F# chord transition

To move from G to F#:

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

This transition appears in the interlude.

8. F# → F chord transition

Here's how 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 interlude.

9. F → E7 chord transition

To move from F to E7:

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

This transition appears in the interlude.

10. E7 → D chord transition

Switching from E7 to D:

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

This transition appears in the interlude.

11. D → A chord transition

Switching from D to A:

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

This transition appears in the interlude, played 3 times.

12. A → F#m chord transition

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

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

This transition appears in the interlude, played 3 times.

13. F#m → E7 chord transition

To move from F#m to E7:

  1. While playing F#m, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the interlude.

14. E7 → A chord transition

Switching from E7 to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

15. F#m → D chord transition

Switching from F#m to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Looking Out My Back Door.

  • Looking Out My Back Door includes 65 chord transitions, 15 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Looking Out My Back Door contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Looking Out My Back Door 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 → D: 24%
    • G → Em: 9%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → A: 17%