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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.

Paul Anka - Papa Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsDm, Gm, A7, A#, C, F
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

DmEverydaymypapawouldwork,Gmtotrytomakeendsmeet
A7Toseethatwewouldeat,keepthoseDmshoesuponmyfeet
DmEverynightmypapawouldtakeme,Gmandtuckmeinmybed
A7Kissmeonmyhead,afterDmallmyprayersweresaid
A#AndtherewereCyears,ofA7sadnessandofDmtears
A#Throughitall,CtogetherwewereFstrong
WewereA7strong,A#timeswereCrough
ButA7PapahewasDmtough,A#mamastoodbeGmsidehimallaA7long
DmGrowingupwiththemwaseasy,Gmthetimehadflewonby
TheA7yearsbegantofly,theyDmagedandsodidI
A#AndIcouldCtell,thatA7mamashewasn’tDmwell
A#PapaknewandCdeepdownsodidFshe,sodidA7she
A#WhensheCdied,A7PapabrokedownandheDmcried
AndA#allhecouldsaywas,Gm”God,whyher?TakeA7me!”
DmEverydayhesattheresleepingGminarockingchair
A7Heneverwentupstairs,Dmbecauseshewasn’tthere
DmThenonedaymyPapasaid,“Son,I’mGmproudofhowyou’vegrown”
A7Hesaid,“Gooutandmakeitonyourown.Don’tDmworry.I’mO.K.alone.”
Hesaid,Dm”Therearethingsthatyoumustdo”,hesaid,Gm”There’splacesyoumustsee”
AndhisA7eyesweresadashe,asheDmsaidgoodbyetome
DmEverytimeIkissmychildren,GmPapa’swordsringtrue
Hesaid,A7”Childrenlivethroughyou.LetthemDmgrow!They’llleaveyou,too”
DmIremembereverywordGmPapausedtosay,IA7kissmykidsandpray
Thatthey’llDmthinkofA#me,CthatDmway,GmsomedayDmA#CDm
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.
ArtistPaul Anka
AlbumAnka
GenresRock
Year1974
KeyDm
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Papa on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Paul Anka - Papa on guitar requires 6 chords and 11 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.

Papa uses these transitions most often: A7 → Dm (14), Gm → A7 (10), and Dm → Gm (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 Dm - Gm chord transition.

1. Dm → Gm chord transition

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

To move from Dm to Gm:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G 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 9 times.

Dm to Gm

2. Gm → A7 chord transition

Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram

To move from Gm to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

Gm to A7

3. A7 → Dm chord transition

Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

To move from A7 to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 14 times.

A7 to Dm

4. Dm → A# chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

Switching from Dm to A#:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Dm to A#

5. 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 8 times.

6. C → A7 chord transition

To move from C to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

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 2 times.

8. F → A7 chord transition

To move from F to A7:

  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 D string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

9. A7 → A# chord transition

Switching from A7 to A#:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

10. A# → Gm chord transition

Switching from A# to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

11. C → Dm chord transition

To move from C to Dm:

  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 A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

Papa chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Papa.

  • Papa includes 64 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Papa contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Papa connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → Gm: 5%
    • Dm → A#: 1%
    After A7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (41%), D7 (18%), and Dm (13%).
    • A7 → Dm: 13%
    • A7 → A#: 0%
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.