Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
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.

Ruel - Real Thing Chords

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

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

CAmEmD
CI’msosickofthinking,Amstayingupatnight
EmIdon’twannaplayaround,Bmthatain’tonmymind
CWhenIthinkaboutherface,Amtheseproblemsdon’texist
EmButifI’mbeinghonestwithDyou
I’mtiredofthatCfantasy,I’mtiredoftheAmdaydream
TiredofjustEmwaitingforsleeptoseeBmyou
Iknowit’sCimaginary,butIthinkmyAmmindisready
NeedtoleavethisEmsanctuaryforsomethingN.Ctrue
IjustwanttheCrealAmthingEmD
IjustwanttheCrealAmthingEmD
CIwantallthefights,youknowAmIwantallthetears
EmIwantalltheconversations,Bmtellmeallyourfears
‘CauseCIknowthatit’shardforyoutotrust
AmNoone’severgivenyouenough,EmImightneedtostopandgiveitup(ayy)
I’mtiredofthatCfantasy,I’mtiredoftheAmdaydream
TiredofjustEmwaitingforsleeptoseeBmyou
Iknowit’sCimaginary,butIthinkmyAmmindisready
NeedtoleavethisEmsanctuaryforsomethingDtrue
IjustwanttheCrealAmthingEm(oh)
IjustwanttheCrealAmthingEmD
IjustwanttheCrealAmthingEmBm
Em(Idon’twannathink,Idon’tBmwannaliveinfantasy)
CRealAmthing,Em(Ijustwantyouhere,IjustDwantyouinreality)
CAmEmBmCAmEmBm
IjustwanttheCrealAmthing
Ijustwanttherealthing,Bmohoh,C(Aye)
IjustwanttheCreal,Amtherealthing
Em(Idon’twannathink,Idon’tBmwannaliveinfantasy)
IjustwanttheCrealAmthing
Em(Ijustwantyouhere,IjustDwantyouinreality)
CIjustwantyouhere,IjustAmwantyouinreality
EmOhBmohoh,CrealAmthing,EmohDohoh
CAmEmBmCAmEmD
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.
ArtistRuel
AlbumFree Time
GenresPop
Year2018
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Real Thing on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ruel - Real Thing on guitar requires 5 chords and 7 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.

Real Thing uses these transitions most often: C → Am (25), Am → Em (24), and Em → Bm (13). 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 - Am chord transition.

1. C → Am chord transition

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

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 25 times.

C to Am

2. Am → Em chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

Here's how to move from Am to Em:

  1. While playing Am, 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 G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 24 times.

Am to Em

3. Em → D chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

Switching from Em to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

Em to D

4. D → C chord transition

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

Here's how to move from D to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

D to C

5. Em → Bm chord transition

To move from Em to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 13 times.

6. Bm → C chord transition

To move from Bm to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

7. Em → C chord transition

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, played 2 times.

Real Thing chord transition analysis

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

  • Real Thing includes 97 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Real Thing contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Real Thing 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 → Am: 10%
    After Am, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).
    • Am → C: 16%
    • Am → Em: 10%
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.