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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.

Green Day - Sweet 16 Chords

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

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

GDGDGDCCCG
GBringmeBmback,toanAmhouragoD
GTimestandsBmstillastheAmyearsgobyD
GBrowneyed Bmgirlthat’sAmthrowingdowna
DBottleofoldGenglish,BmbackintheAmwarehouse..
COlddaysareGfine,butBmleftsofarEmbehind.
CFrom DCaliforniatoGJane CStreetG
CTheKidsGalright,Bmalrightasthey’lleverCbeD
C’Causeyou’llDalwaysbemy,Cwellyou’llDalwaysbemy..
CYouwillalwaysDbemysweetG16…D
GDGDCCCG
GSleepontheBmfloorOnAmcardboard.D
GStabatmyBmheart,likeaAmdartboard.D
GBrownskilledBmgirl,thatIAmdreamaboutaDlonglongtimeGnow.
BmFromtheAmMid-Westtothebeach.D
COlddaysareGfine,butBmleftsofarEmbehind.
CFrom DCaliforniatoGJane CStreetG
CTheKidsGalright,Bmalrightasthey’lleverCbeD
C’Causeyou’llDalwaysbemy,Cwellyou’llDalwaysbemy..
CYouwillalwaysDbemysweetG16…D
GDGDCCCGGBmAmD
COlddaysareGfine,butBmleftsofarEmbehind.
CFrom DCaliforniatoGJane CStreetG
CTheKidsGalright,Bmalrightasthey’lleverCbeD
C’Causeyou’llDalwaysbemy,Cwellyou’llDalwaysbemy..
CYouwillalwaysDbemysweetG16…D
GDGDCCCG
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.
ArtistGreen Day
Album¡Uno!
GenresAlternative, Indie
Year2012
KeyG
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Sweet 16 on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Green Day - Sweet 16 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.

Sweet 16 uses these transitions most often: D → G (20), D → C (16), and C → D (15). 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 - D chord transition.

1. G → D chord transition

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

To move from G to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

G to D

2. 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 16 times.

D 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 → Bm chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram

Here's how to move from G to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 15 times.

G to Bm

5. Bm → Am chord transition

Switching from Bm to Am:

  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 G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

6. Am → D chord transition

Switching 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 9 times.

7. Bm → Em chord transition

Here's how to move from Bm to Em:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

8. Em → C chord transition

Switching 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 chorus, played 3 times.

9. Bm → C chord transition

Switching 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 chorus, played 3 times.

Sweet 16 chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Sweet 16.

  • Sweet 16 includes 124 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Sweet 16 contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Sweet 16 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 → D: 24%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → C: 14%
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.