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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.

Bob Dylan - My Back Pages Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Am, Em, F, G, G7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

CCrimsonAmflamestiedEmthroughmyears
Rollin’FhighandGmightyCtraps
CPouncedwithAmfireonEmflamingCroads
UsingFideasEmasmyGmaps
“We’llFmeetonAmedges,Gsoon,”saidCI
AmProud‘neathheatedFbrow.G
Ah,CbutIwassomuchAmolderCthen,
I’mFyoungerGthanthatCnow.
GGG7G7
CHalf-wrackedAmprejudiceEmleapedforth
F“RipdownallGhate,”ICscreamed
CLiesthatAmlifeisEmblackandwhite
FSpokefrommyskull.IGdreamed
AmRomanticfactsofEmmusketeers
FFoundationeddeep, Gsomehow.
Ah,butCIwasAmsomuchEmolderFthen,
I’mGyoungerG7thanthatCnow.
CGirls’facesAmformedtheEmforwardpath
FromFphonyGjealousy
CTo AmmemorizingEmpolitics
OfFancientAmhistory
FlungAmdownbycorpse Emevangelists
FUnthoughtof,though, Gsomhow.
Ah,CbutIwassomuchFolderCthen,
I’mFyoungerGthanthatCnow.
ACself-or-dained Emprofessor’stongue
TooFserioustoCfool
CSpoutedAmoutthatEmliberty
IsFjustequalityinGschool
Am“Equality,”IEmspoketheword
AsFifaweddingGvow.
Ah,CbutIwasAmsomucholderthen,
FI’myoungerGthanthatCnow.
InaCsoldier’sAmstance,IEmaimedmyhand
AttheFmongrelGdogswhoCteach
CFearingnotthatI’dAmbecomemyEmenemy
IntheFinstantthatIGpreach
MyAmexistenceledbyFconfusionCboats
AmMutinyfromEmsterntoGbow.
Ah,butCIwasAmsomuchFolderCthen,
I’mGyoungerthanthatCnow.
Yes,myCguardAmstoodhardwhenEmabstractthreats
TooFnobleGto Cneglect
CDeceivedmeAmintoEmthinking
IhadFsomethingto Gprotect
AmGoodandbad,I Emdefinetheseterms
FQuiteclear,nodoubt, Gsomehow.
Ah,butCIwasAmsomuchFolderCthen,
I’mGyoungerthanthatCnow.
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.
ArtistBob Dylan
AlbumAnother Side of Bob Dylan
GenresFolk
Year1964
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play My Back Pages on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Bob Dylan - My Back Pages on guitar requires 6 chords and 12 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.

My Back Pages uses these transitions most often: C → Am (19), F → G (19), and Am → Em (18). 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 - Am chord transition.

1. C → Am chord transition

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

Here's how to move from C to Am:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 19 times.

C to Am

2. Am → Em chord transition

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

To move from Am to Em:

  1. While playing Am, 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 G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 18 times.

Am to Em

3. Em → F chord transition

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

To move from Em to F:

  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 A string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 16 times.

Em to F

4. F → G chord transition

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

Here's how to move from F to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 19 times.

F to G

5. G → C chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 18 times.

6. 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.

7. C → F chord transition

Switching 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 4 times.

8. Em → G chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

9. F → Am chord transition

Here's how 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 2 times.

10. Am → G chord transition

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

11. G → G7 chord transition

To move from G to G7:

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

This transition appears in the interlude, played 2 times.

12. G7 → C chord transition

Here's how to move from G7 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 1 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

My Back Pages chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in My Back Pages.

  • My Back Pages includes 125 chord transitions, 12 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • My Back Pages contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how My Back Pages connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    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.