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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.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott - St. James Infirmary Blues Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsEm, B7, Am, C7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.

EmIwentdowntoB7OldJoe’sEmBarroom.
EmOnthecornerAmbytheB7square.
TheywereEmservingB7drinksasEmusual.
AndtheC7usualB7crowdwasEmthere.
EmOnmyleftstoodB7Joe EmMacKennedy.
EmHiseyeswereAmbloodshotB7red.
HeEmturnedtotheB7crowd Emaroundhim
AndC7thesearetheB7wordsthatheEmsaid.
EmIwentdowntoB7St.JamesEmInfirmary.
EmIsawmyAmbabyB7there.
EmLyingonaB7longwhiteEmtable,
SoC7sweet,B7socold,Emsofair.
EmIwentuptoB7seetheEmdoctor.
Em’She’sveryAmlow,’heB7said.
EmIwentbacktoB7seemyEmbaby
AndgreatC7godshewasB7lyingthereEmdead.
EmLethergo,letherB7go,GodEmblessher.
EmWhereverAmshemayB7be.
ShemayEmsearchthisB7wideworldEmover
Butshe’llneverC7findanotherB7manlikeEmme.
EmWhenIB7diepleaseEmburyme
EmInahightopAmstetsonB7hat.
PutaEmgoldpieceB7onmyEmwatchchain.
Sothey’llC7knowIdiedB7standingEmpat.
EmGetsixgamblerstoB7carrymyEmcoffin.
EmSixchorusgirlstoAmsingmyB7song.
PutaEmjazzbandB7onmyEmtailgate
ToraiseC7hellasweB7roll Emalong.
EmThisistheB7endofmyEmstory.
EmSolet’shaveanotherAmroundofB7booze.
AndifEmanyoneshouldB7askyoujustEmtellthem
I’vegottheC7St.JamesB7InfirmaryEmBlues.
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.
ArtistRamblin' Jack Elliott
AlbumThe Long Ride
GenresFolk
Year2006
KeyEm
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play St. James Infirmary Blues on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott - St. James Infirmary Blues on guitar requires 4 chords and 5 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.

St. James Infirmary Blues uses these transitions most often: B7 → Em (32), Em → B7 (16), and Am → B7 (8). 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 Em - B7 chord transition.

1. Em → B7 chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram

Switching from Em to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 16 times.

Em to B7

2. Em → Am chord transition

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

To move from Em to Am:

  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 G string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Em to Am

3. Am → B7 chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram

To move from Am to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Am to B7

4. Em → C7 chord transition

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

Here's how to move from Em to C7:

  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.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Em to C7

5. C7 → B7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C7 to B7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

St. James Infirmary Blues chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in St. James Infirmary Blues.

  • St. James Infirmary Blues includes 80 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • St. James Infirmary Blues contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how St. James Infirmary Blues connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (18%).
    • Em → Am: 12%
    • Em → B7: 1%
    After B7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are Em (58%), E7 (10%), and C (8%).
    • B7 → Em: 58%
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.