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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.

Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, G7, C, C7, F, E7, D
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

GG7C
CRudolph,thered-nosedreindeer
HadaveryshinyGnose,
Andifyoueversawit,
G7YouwouldevensayitCglows.
Alloftheotherreindeer
UsedtolaughandcallhimGnames
TheyneverletpoorRudolph
G7JoininanyreindeerCgames.C7
FThenonefoggyCChristmasEve
GSantacametoCsay,
G“RudolphwithyourE7nosesobright,
DWon’tyouguidemyG7sleightonight?”
CThenallthereindeerlovedhim
AndtheyshoutedoutwithGglee,
“Rudolphthered-nosedreindeer,
G7You’llgodowninChistory!
G7You’llgodowninChistory!
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.
ArtistGene Autry
AlbumSingle
GenresChristmas, Folk, Western
Year1949
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on guitar requires 7 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.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (6), C → G (5), and G → G7 (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 G - G7 chord transition.

1. G → G7 chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

Switching 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 verse, played 4 times.

G to G7

2. G7 → C chord transition

Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move 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 verse, played 6 times.

G7 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 5 times.

C to G

4. C → C7 chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from C to C7:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

C to C7

5. C7 → F chord transition

Here's how to move from C7 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. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

6. F → C chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

7. G → E7 chord transition

Here's how to move from G to E7:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

8. E7 → D chord transition

Here's how 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 verse.

9. D → G7 chord transition

Switching from D to G7:

  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 1.

This transition appears in the verse.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer .

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer includes 23 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 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 → G7: 2%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → G7: 2%
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.