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Nat King Cole - Pretend Chords

ChordsC, G7, Dm, F, Em, Am
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram


[C]Pretend you’re [G7]happy when you’re [C]blue
It isn’t very hard to [Dm]do
And you’ll find happi[F]ness without an [G7]end
When[F]ever [G7]you pre[C]tend


Remember [G7]anyone can [C]dream
And nothing’s bad as it may [Dm]seem
The little [F]things you haven’t [G7]got
Could [F]be a [G7]lot if you’d pre[C]tend


You’ll find a [Em]love you can [F]share
One you can call all your [C]own
Just [Am]close your eyes [F]he’ll be there
You’ll [Em]never be a[G7]lone


[C]And if you’ll [G7]sing this me[C]lody
You’ll be pretending just like [Dm]me
The world is [F]mine it can be [G7]yours my friend
So [F]why don’t [G7]you pre[C]tend


[C]And if you’ll [G7]sing this me[C]lody
You’ll be pretending just like [Dm]me
The world is [F]mine it can be [G7]yours my friend
So [F]why don’t [G7]you pre[C]tend

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AlbumSingle
GenresJazz
Year1958
KeyC

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

Nat King Cole - Pretend 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.

Pretend uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (9), F → G7 (8), and C → Dm (4). 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 - G7 chord transition.

1. C → G7 chord transition

To move from C to G7;

  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 1.
C to G7

2. 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.
C to Dm

3. Dm → F chord transition

To move from Dm to F;

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

4. F → G7 chord transition

To move from F to G7;

  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 1.
F to G7

5. C → Em chord transition

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, 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 A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

6. Em → F chord transition

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.

7. 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.

8. C → Am chord transition

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.

9. Am → F chord transition

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.

10. Em → G7 chord transition

To move from Em to G7;

  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 1.
  3. Place index finger on A string fret 2.

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

  • Pretend includes 40 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Pretend contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Pretend connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%
    • G7 → F: 5%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → Am: 10%
    • C → Em: 8%