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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.

ABBA - SOS Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsDm, A7, F, C, Gm, Bb, Db, Eb
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

DmA7DmDm
DmWherearethosehappyA7days?
TheyseemsohardtoDmfind
DmItriedtoreachforA7you,
ButyouhaveclosedyourDmmind
FWhateverhappenedCtoourlove?
GmIwishI Dmunderstood
DmItusedtobesoA7nice,
ItusedtobesoDmgood?
FSowhenyou’reCnearmeGmdarlingcan’tyouBbhearmeFSOS
FTheloveyouCgavemeGmnothingelsecanBbsavemeFSOS
Whenyou’reBbgone,thoughIDbtry
HowcanEbIcarryFon?
Whenyou’reBbgone,thoughIDbtry
HowcanEbIcarryFon?
DmYouseemedsofar A7away,
ThoughyouwerestandingDmnear
DmYoumademefeel A7alive,
ButsomethingdiedIDmfear
FIreallytriedtoCmakeitoutGmIwishI Dmunderstood
DmWhathappenedtoourA7love,itusedtobesoDmgood?
FSowhenyou’reCnearmeGmdarlingcan’tyouBbhearmeFSOS
FTheloveyouCgavemeGmnothingelsecanBbsavemeFSOS
Whenyou’reBbgone,
ThoughIDbtryhowcanEbIcarryFon?
Whenyou’reBbgone,
ThoughIDbtryhowcanEbIcarryFon?
DmA7DmDm
DmA7DmDm
FSowhenyou’reCnearmeGmdarlingcan’tyouBbhearmeFSOS
FTheloveyouCgavemeGmnothingelsecanBbsavemeFSOS
Whenyou’reBbgone,
ThoughIDbtryhowcanEbIcarryFon?
Whenyou’reBbgone,
ThoughIDbtryhowcanEbIcarryFon?
Whenyou’reBbgone,
ThoughIDbtryhowcanEbIcarryFon?
Whenyou’reBbgone,
ThoughIDbtryhowcanEbIcarryFon?
DmA7DmDm
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.
ArtistABBA
AlbumABBA
GenresEuropop, Pop
Year1975
KeyDm
DifficultyAdvanced

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

ABBA - SOS on guitar requires 8 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.

SOS uses these transitions most often: A7 → Dm (10), Dm → A7 (10), and Bb → Db (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 Dm - A7 chord transition.

1. Dm → A7 chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram

Switching from Dm to A7:

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

This transition appears in the intro, played 10 times.

Dm to A7

2. Dm → F chord transition

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

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

Dm to F

3. F → C chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

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, played 8 times.

F to C

4. C → Gm chord transition

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

Switching from C to Gm:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  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 B string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

C to Gm

5. Gm → Dm chord transition

Switching from Gm to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

6. Gm → Bb chord transition

To move from Gm to Bb:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

7. Bb → F chord transition

To move from Bb to F:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

8. Bb → Db chord transition

Switching from Bb to Db:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 8 times.

9. Db → Eb chord transition

Switching from Db to Eb:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 8 times.

10. Eb → F chord transition

To move from Eb to F:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 8 times.

SOS chord transition analysis

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

  • SOS includes 90 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • SOS contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how SOS connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → F: 14%
    • Dm → A7: 1%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → Dm: 5%
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.