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Katy Perry - No Surprise Chords

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

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to G key to play this song with easier chords.

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

[Opening]
[C]I’ve practiced this for hours, gone round and [G]round
And now I think that I’ve got it all [Am]down
And as I say it louder I love how it [F]sounds
Cause I’m not taking the easy way [D]out.
Not wrapping this in ribbons, shouldn’t have to give a reason [F]why…

[chorus]
It’s no [C]surprise I won’t be here tomorrow
I can’t [G]believe that I stayed till today
Yeah you [Am]and I will be a tough act to follow
But I [F]know in time we’ll [G]find this was no [C]surprise.

[verse 2]
[C]It came out like a river once I let it [G]out
When I thought that I wouldn’t know [Am]how
Held onto it forever just pushing it [F]down
Felt so good to let go of it [D]now
Not wrapping this in ribbons, shouldn’t have to give a reason [F]why

[verse 3]
It’s no [C]surprise I won’t be here tomorrow.
I can’t [G]believe that I stayed till today
There’s nothing [Am]here in this heart left to borrow
There’s nothing [F]here in this soul left to [G]say

[verse 4]
Don’t be [C]surprised when we hate this tomorrow
God knows we [G]tried to find an easier way
Yeah you [Am]and I will be a tough act to follow
But I [F]know in time we’ll [G]find this was no [C]surprise.

[verse 5]
Our [C]favorite place we used to go
The [G]warm embrace that no one knows
The [Am]loving look that’s left your eyes
That’s [F]why this comes as [G]no, as no [C]surprise.
[C]If I could see the future and how this plays [G]out
I bet it’s better than where we are [Am]now
But after going through this, it’s easier to [F]see the reason why

[chorus]
It’s no [C]surprise I won’t be here tomorrow
I can’t [G]believe that I stayed till today
Yeah you [Am]and I will be a tough act to follow
But I [F]know in time we’ll [G]find this was no [C]surprise.

[Closing]
Our [C]favorite place we used to go
The [G]warm embrace that no one knows
The [Am]loving look that’s left your eyes
But I [F]know in time we’ll [G]find this was no [C]surprise.

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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.
ArtistKaty Perry
AlbumRise Remixes
GenresPop
Year2016
KeyC

How to play No Surprise on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Katy Perry - No Surprise on guitar requires 5 chords and 6 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.

No Surprise uses these transitions most often: Am → F (9), C → G (9), and G → Am (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 C - G chord transition.

1. C → G chord transition

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

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.
C to G

2. G → Am chord transition

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

To move from G to Am;

  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 G string fret 2.
G to Am

3. Am → F chord transition

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

To move from Am 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. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
Am to F

4. F → D chord transition

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

To move from F to D;

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

5. F → C chord transition

To move from F to C;

  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. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

6. F → G chord transition

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.

No Surprise chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in No Surprise.

  • No Surprise includes 46 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • No Surprise contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how No Surprise 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 → Am: 13%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
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.