Taylor Swift - Mastermind Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
[Opening]
[C]Once upon a time, the planets [F]and the fates, and all the stars [C]aligned
You and I ended up in the [F]same room at the same time
[C]And the touch of a hand lit the [F]fuse, of a chain reaction of counter[C]moves
To assess the equation of [F]you, checkmate, I couldn’t lose
[verse 2]
[Am]What if I told you none of [F]it was accidental?
And the [G]first night that you saw me,
[C]Nothing was gonna [C]stop me, [Am]I laid the groundwork and [F]then,
Just like clockwork, the [G]dominoes cascaded in the line
What if I told you I’m a [C]mastermind? And [F]now you’re mine
It was all [Am]by design, [G]’cause I’m a [F]mastermind
[verse 3]
[C]You see, all the wisest [F]women had to do it this way
[C]’Cause we were born to be the [F]pawn, in every lover’s [C]game
If you fail to plan, you plan to [F]fail, strategy sets the scene for the [C]tale
I’m the wind in our free-flowing [F]sails, and the liquor of our cocktails
[verse 4]
[Am]What if I told you none of [F]it was accidental?
And the [G]first night that you saw me,
I [C]knew I wanted your [C]body? [Am]I laid the groundwork and [F]then,
Just like clockwork, the [G]dominoes cascaded in the line
What if I told you I’m a [C]mastermind? And [F]now you’re mine
It was all [Am]my design, [G]’cause I’m a [F]mastermind
[verse 5]
[C]No one wanted to play with me as a little kid
[C]So I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since
[F]To make them love me and make it seem effortless
[F]This this the first time I´ve felt the need to confess, and [Em]I [F]swear,
[G]I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian, ’cause I care
[Closing]
[Am]So I told you none of [F]it was accidental
And the [G]first night that you saw me,
[C]Nothing was gonna [C]stop me, [Am]I laid the groundwork and [F]then,
Saw a wild smirk on [G]your face, you knew the entire time
You knew that I’m a [C]mastermind, and [F]now you’re mine
Yeah, all you [Am]did was smile, [G]’cause I’m a [F]mastermind [C]
How to play Mastermind on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Taylor Swift - Mastermind on guitar requires 5 chords and 7 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.
Mastermind uses these transitions most often: C → F (12), F → C (9), and F → G (7). 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 - F chord transition.
1. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
2. F → Am chord transition
To move from F to Am;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
3. F → G chord transition
To move from F to G;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E 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.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
4. 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.
5. C → Am chord transition
To move from C to Am;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
6. Am → G chord transition
To move from Am 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 G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
7. F → Em chord transition
To move from F to Em;
- While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
Mastermind chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Mastermind.
- Mastermind includes 57 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Mastermind contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Mastermind 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 → C: 40%
- F → G: 21%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → F: 16%
- C → Am: 10%