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Delta Rhythm Boys - Take The A Train Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsE, A, F, Bm, B, D, B7, F#m, Dm, A7, E7, G7, C, C#7, Dm7, G, D7, Fm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

[Opening]
[E] [E] [E]
[A]You must take the [F]A train
[Bm]To go to Sugar [E]Hill way up in [A]Harlem [Bm] [E]
[A]If you miss the [F]A train
[Bm]You will [B]find you missed the quickest way to [A]Harlem
[D]Hurry get on now its [Bm]coming
[B7]Listen to those rails a [E]thrumming
All a[A]board get on the [F]A train
[Bm]soon you will be [E]on Sugar Hill in [A]Harlem

[verse 2]
[A]You take your baby to Harlem you’re bound to [F]find a hole
Up on [F#m]Sugar [Dm]Hill where [A]everyone’s [E]having a [A]solid [E]ball
[E]You’ll [A]board that A Train,
And then you [Bm]ride ’til you [B7]dig this number:
145 Street [A7]where all the [E7]cats meet [A]posing on stroll.
[A7]Pops, they’re really in there. [D]Ba an do da [D]n da n do day

[verse 3]
[D]That’s the riff that [Bm]the bands all play
[B7]It’s groovy the hepcats say;
[E7]Then you’ll know that you’re in Harlem
[A]You got to get on that
[A]A Train, and you will [F]get a thrill
[F]Yeah, if you’re [D]lookin’ for a rhythm,
You will [B]find it on [E]Sugar [A]Hill.

[verse 4]
[A]Now that you know just how to get up there
[G7]Dig up a nickel and you got your fare

[Closing]
[C]If you want to go to [C#7]happy Harlem
You [D]take the A Train that [Dm]goes uptown
And [Dm7]ride, [G]ride, ride
[C]Wait until you get on [D7]Sugar Hill
[F]You’ll jump for joy ’til you [G7]get your [C]fill
[F]Have you got your nickel in your [Fm]hand
Then [D7]hurry, don’t you miss that [F]train, oh [G]man
[C]You must take the [F]A Train
[F]To [G]go to Sugar Hill way up in [C]Harlem
Better [F]hurry get a[G7]board [G]that [C]train

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.
ArtistDelta Rhythm Boys
AlbumThe Delta Rhythm Boys
GenresJazz
Year2000
KeyA
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Take The A Train on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Delta Rhythm Boys - Take The A Train on guitar requires 18 chords and 39 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.

Take The A Train uses these transitions most often: E → A (8), A → F (5), and G → C (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 E - A chord transition.

1. E → A chord transition

Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram

To move from E to A;

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

2. A → F chord transition

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

To move from A to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 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 2 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
A to F

3. F → Bm chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram

To move from F to Bm;

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

4. Bm → E chord transition

Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram

To move from Bm to E;

  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 G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.
Bm to E

5. A → Bm chord transition

To move from A to Bm;

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

6. Bm → B chord transition

To move from Bm to B;

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

7. B → A chord transition

To move from B to A;

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

8. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

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

9. D → Bm chord transition

To move from D to Bm;

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

10. Bm → B7 chord transition

To move from Bm to B7;

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

11. B7 → E chord transition

To move from B7 to E;

  1. While playing B7, lift your pinky from E string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.

12. F → F#m chord transition

To move from F to F#m;

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your index finger on E string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 4.
  4. Slide your pinky on D string from fret 3 to fret 4.

13. F#m → Dm chord transition

To move from F#m to Dm;

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

14. Dm → A chord transition

To move from Dm to A;

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

15. B7 → A7 chord transition

To move from B7 to A7;

  1. While playing B7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Slide your index finger on D string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to B string fret 2.

16. A7 → E7 chord transition

To move from A7 to E7;

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

17. E7 → A chord transition

To move from E7 to A;

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

18. A → A7 chord transition

To move from A to A7;

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

19. A7 → D chord transition

To move from A7 to D;

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

20. B7 → E7 chord transition

To move from B7 to E7;

  1. While playing B7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.

21. F → D chord transition

To move from F to D;

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

22. D → B chord transition

To move from D to B;

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

23. B → E chord transition

To move from B to E;

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

24. A → G7 chord transition

To move from A to G7;

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

25. G7 → C chord transition

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.

26. C → C#7 chord transition

To move from C to C#7;

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

27. C#7 → D chord transition

To move from C#7 to D;

  1. While playing C#7, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 4 and place it on B string fret 3.

28. D → Dm chord transition

To move from D to Dm;

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

29. Dm → Dm7 chord transition

To move from Dm to Dm7;

  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 B string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.

30. Dm7 → G chord transition

To move from Dm7 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 G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 3.

31. G → C chord transition

To move from G 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 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

32. C → D7 chord transition

To move from C to D7;

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

33. D7 → F chord transition

To move from D7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B 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 E string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

34. F → G7 chord transition

To move from F to G7;

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

35. C → F chord transition

To move from C 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. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

36. F → Fm chord transition

To move from F to Fm;

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 3.

37. Fm → D7 chord transition

To move from Fm to D7;

  1. While playing Fm, 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 ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
  4. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

38. F → G chord transition

To move from F to G;

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

39. G7 → G chord transition

To move from G7 to G;

  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 1 to fret 3.

Take The A Train chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Take The A Train.

  • Take The A Train includes 70 chord transitions, 39 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Take The A Train contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Take The A Train connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → D: 29%
    • A → E: 12%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → G: 21%
    • F → G7: 3%
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.