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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.

Roy Orbison - Penny Arcade Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, C, F, D7, Em, G7
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

GCGC
CAlightshoneinthenightsomewhere Fahead
D7Blueturnedintogreen,thenitwasGred.
And,Cstirringthenight,loudmusicFplayed
TheD7lightIsawinthenightwasapenny Garcade.FEmG
C”Stepupandplay”,eachmachingseemedtosay
asIwalkedroundandroundthepenny Garcade.
G7”Justringthebellonthebigbagatelle
andyou’llmakeallthecolouredlights Ccascade”.
AndmusicFplayedinthepenny Carcade.
Yes,itFplayedanditplayed,Gplayedallthetime
C”RollupandFspendyourlastCdime!”
AtfirstIthoughtitadreamthatIwasFin.
Lost,D7lostinaseaofglassandGtin.
Butno,CsodippingmyhandinthebackofmyFjeans,
ID7grabbedahandfulofcoinstofeedtheGmachiCnes.
C”Stepupandplay”,eachmachingseemedtosay
asIwalkedroundandroundthepenny Garcade.
G7”Justringthebellonthebigbagatelle
andyou’llmakeallthecolouredlights Ccascade”.
AndmusicFplayedinthepenny Carcade.
Yes,itFplayedanditplayed,Gplayedallthetime
C”RollupandFspendyourlastCdime!”
CRollupandFspendyourlast,
CRollupandFspendyourlast,
CrollupandFspendyourlastCdime!”
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.
ArtistRoy Orbison
AlbumThe Big O
GenresRock and roll
Year1969
KeyG
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Penny Arcade on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Roy Orbison - Penny Arcade on guitar requires 6 chords and 10 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.

Penny Arcade uses these transitions most often: C → F (13), F → C (7), and G → C (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 G - C chord transition.

1. G → C chord transition

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

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 7 times.

G to C

2. C → F chord transition

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

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 13 times.

C to F

3. F → D7 chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram

Switching from F to D7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

F to D7

4. D7 → G chord transition

Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

Here's how to move from D7 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 G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

D7 to G

5. G → F chord transition

Here's how to move from G to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

6. F → Em chord transition

Here's how to move from F to Em:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

7. Em → G chord transition

To move 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.

8. G → G7 chord transition

Here's how 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 chorus, played 2 times.

9. G7 → C chord transition

Switching 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 chorus, played 2 times.

10. Em → C chord transition

Here's how 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.

Penny Arcade chord transition analysis

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

  • Penny Arcade includes 50 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Penny Arcade contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Penny Arcade 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 F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → G: 21%
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.