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Lou Reed - Perfect Day Chords

ChordsE7, Am, D, G, C, F, Dm, A, C#m7, F#m
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

E7AmE7Am
AmJustaDperfectdayGdrinkSangriaCinthepark
FAndthenlaterwhenDmitgetsdarkwegoE7home
AmJustaDperfectdayGfeedanimalsCinthezoo
FThenlateraDmmovietooandthenE7home
OhAit’ssuchaDperfectday
C#m7I’mgladIspentitwithDyou
AOhsuchaE7perfectday
youjustF#mkeepmeE7hangingDon
YoujustF#mkeepmeE7hangingDon
AmJustaDperfectdayGproblemsallCleftalone
FWeekendersDmonourownit’ssuchE7fun
AmJustaDperfectdayGyoumademe Cforgetmyself
FIthoughtIwasDmsomeoneelsesomeoneE7good
OhAit’ssuchaDperfectday
C#m7I’mgladIspentitwithDyou
AOhsuchaE7perfectday
YoujustF#mkeepmeE7hangingDon
YoujustF#mkeepmeE7hangingDon
C#m7You’regoingtoGreapjustwhatyouDsowA
C#m7You’regoingtoGreapjustwhatyouDsowA
C#m7You’regoingtoGreapjustwhatyouDsowA
C#m7You’regoingtoGreapjustwhatyouDsowA
C#m7GDAC#m7GDA
ArtistLou Reed
AlbumTransformer
GenresPop
Year1972
KeyE
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Perfect Day on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Lou Reed - Perfect Day on guitar requires 10 chords and 15 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.

Perfect Day uses these transitions most often: D → A (8), C#m7 → G (6), and G → D (6). 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 E7 - Am chord transition.

1. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

E7 to Am

2. Am → D chord transition

Here's how to move from Am to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

Am to D

3. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

D to G

4. 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 4 times.

G to C

5. 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.

6. F → Dm chord transition

Switching from F to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

7. Dm → E7 chord transition

To move from Dm to E7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

8. E7 → A chord transition

To move from E7 to A:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

9. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

10. D → C#m7 chord transition

To move from D to C#m7:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 4.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 5.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 6.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

11. E7 → F#m chord transition

Switching from E7 to F#m:

  1. While playing E7, lift your middle finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 4.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

12. E7 → D chord transition

To move from E7 to D:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

13. D → F#m chord transition

Here's how to move from D to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

14. C#m7 → G chord transition

To move from C#m7 to G:

  1. Slide your index finger on A string from fret 4 to fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 5 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 6 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

15. A → C#m7 chord transition

To move from A to C#m7:

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 4.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to B string fret 5.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 6.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

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

  • Perfect Day includes 78 chord transitions, 15 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Perfect Day contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Perfect Day connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → A: 17%
    After E7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are A (31%), Am (28%), and A7 (7%).
    • E7 → A: 31%
    • E7 → Am: 28%