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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.

Taylor Swift - Carolina Chords

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

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

Bm
Oh,BmCarolinacreeksrunningAthroughmyEmveins
LostIwasEmborn,lonesomeIAcame.LonesomeI’llBmalwaysstay
BmCarolinaknowswhy,forAyears,IEmroam
FreeastheseEmbirds,lightasAwhispers.BmCarolinaknows
AndBmyoudidn’tseemehere,no,theyBmneverdidseemehere
Andshe’sDinAmyEmdreams
IntotheEmmist,intotheDclouds.ADon’tEmleave
ImakeaEmfist,I’llmakeitDcount
AndthereareAplacesIwillEmnever,evergo
BmAndthingsthatAonlyEmCarolinawilleverBmknow
BmAEmEmABm
BmCarolinastainsontheAdresssheEmleft
IndelibleEmscars,pivotalAmarks,blueastheBmlifeshefled
BmCarolinapines,won’tyouAcoverEmme?
HidemelikeEmrobesdownthebackAroad
MuddytheseBmwebsweweave
AndBmyoudidn’tseemehere.Oh,theyBmneverdidseemehere
Andshe’sDinAmyEmdreams
IntotheEmmist,intotheDclouds.ADon’tEmleave
ImakeaEmfist,I’llmakeitDcount
AndthereareAplacesIwillEmnever,evergo
BmAndthingsthatAonlyEmCarolinawilleverDknowAEm
DAEmDAEm
DAEmEm
AndBmyoudidn’tseemehere,theyAneverdidseemehere
No,Emyoudidn’tseemehere,theyAneversawme
Oh,BmCarolinaknowswhyforAyearsthey’veEmsaid
ThatIwasEmguiltyasAsinandsleepinaBmliar’sbed
ButtheBmsleepcomesfastandI’llAmeetnoEmghosts
It’sbetweenEmme,thesand,andtheAsea
BmCarolinaknows
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.
ArtistTaylor Swift
AlbumCarolina (From The Motion Picture “Where The Crawdads Sing”)
GenresAlternative, Indie, Pop
Year2022
KeyBm
DifficultyEasy

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

Taylor Swift - Carolina on guitar requires 4 chords and 6 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.

Carolina uses these transitions most often: A → Em (20), Bm → A (10), and D → A (10). 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 Bm - A chord transition.

1. Bm → A chord transition

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

To move from Bm to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

Bm to A

2. A → Em chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from A to Em:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 20 times.

A to Em

3. Bm → D chord transition

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

To move from Bm to D:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

Bm to D

4. D → A chord transition

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

Here's how to move from D to A:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 10 times.

D to A

5. Em → D chord transition

To move from Em to D:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 8 times.

6. Em → Bm chord transition

To move from Em to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

Carolina chord transition analysis

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

  • Carolina includes 70 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Carolina contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Carolina 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 → D: 18%
    • Em → A: 5%
    After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → Bm: 8%
    • A → Em: 7%
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.