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.

Elton John - Rocket Man Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsEm7, A, C, G, Am, D
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

Em7Shepackedmybagslastnight, Apreflight
Em7Zerohour,nineAA.M.
CAndI’mgonnabeGhighasaAmkitebyDthen
Em7Imisstheearthsomuch,IAmissmywife
Em7It’slonelyoutinAspace
COnsuchaGtimelessAmflightD
GAndIthinkit’sgonnabealonglongCtime
Tiltouchdownbringsme’roundagaintoGfind
I’mnotthemantheythinkIamatChome
Ohno,no,Gno,I’maArocketman
CRocketman,burnin’outhisfuseupGherealone
Em7Marsain’tthekindaplacetoAraiseyourkids
Em7Infactit’scoldasAhell
CAndthere’snooneGtheretoAmraisethemifyouDdid
Em7Andallthisscience,Idon’t Aunderstand
Em7It’sjustmyjobfivedaysaAweek
CRocketGmanAmrocketDman
GAndIthinkit’sgonnabealonglongCtime
’Tiltouchdownbringsme’roundtoGfind
I’mnotthemantheythinkIamatChome
Ohno,no,Gno,I’maArocketman
CRocketman,burnin’outhisfuseGupherealone
CAndIthinkit’sgonnabealonglongGtime
CAndIthinkit’sgonnabealonglongGtime
CAndIthinkit’sgonnabealonglongGtime
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.
ArtistElton John
AlbumHonky Château
GenresPop, Soft Rock
Year1972
KeyEm
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Rocket Man on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Elton John - Rocket Man on guitar requires 6 chords and 9 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.

Rocket Man uses these transitions most often: C → G (13), Em7 → A (8), 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 Em7 - A chord transition.

1. Em7 → A chord transition

Guitar Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-0-0-0Guitar Em7 chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram

Here's how to move from Em7 to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Em7 to A

2. A → C chord transition

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

Here's how to move from A to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

A to C

3. C → G chord transition

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

Here's how to move from C 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 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 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 13 times.

C to G

4. G → Am chord transition

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

To move from G to Am:

  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 G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

G to Am

5. Am → D chord transition

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.

6. D → Em7 chord transition

Here's how to move from D to Em7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

7. 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 chorus, played 2 times.

8. G → A chord transition

To move from G to A:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  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 B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

9. G → Em7 chord transition

Here's how to move from G to Em7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

Rocket Man chord transition analysis

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

  • Rocket Man includes 53 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Rocket Man contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Rocket Man connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Am: 13%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
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.