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Buddy Holly - That’ll Be the Day Chords

ChordsE7, D, A, B7
Strumming↓-↓↑

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

  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • 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
  • Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram


[E7]Well, [D]that’ll be the day,
When you say goodbye.
Ye-hess, [A]that’ll be the day,
When you make me cry-hi.
You [D]say you’re gonna leave,
You know it’s a lie.
‘Cause [A]that’ll be the day,
[E7]When I [A]die.


Well, you [D]gimme all your loving,
And your [A]turtle doving.
[D]All your hugs and kisses,
And your [A]money too.
Wee-lla, [D]you know you love me,
Baby, [A]still you tell me,
“Maybe, [B7]that someday, well,
[E7]I’ll be blue.”


Well, [D]that’ll be the day,
When you say goodbye.
Ye-hess, [A]that’ll be the day,
When you make me cry-hi.
You [D]say you’re gonna leave,
You know it’s a lie.
‘Cause [A]that’ll be the day,
[E7]When I [A]die.


[A] [A] [A] [A] [D] [D] [A] [A] [E7] [D] [A] [E7]


Well, [D]that’ll be the day,
When you say goodbye.
Ye-hess, [A]that’ll be the day,
When you make me cry-hi.
You [D]say you’re gonna leave,
You know it’s a lie.
‘Cause [A]that’ll be the day,
[E7]When I [A]die.


Well, [D]that’ll be the day, whoooo,
[A]That’ll be the day, whoooo,
[D]That’ll be the day, whoooo, [A]
That’ll be the day. [E7] [A]

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AlbumJukebox 1957
GenresPop
Year1957
KeyE7

How to play That'll Be the Day on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Buddy Holly - That'll Be the Day 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.

That'll Be the Day uses these transitions most often: D → A (13), A → D (9), and A → E7 (6). 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 E7 - D chord transition.

1. E7 → D chord transition

To move from E7 to D;

  1. Slide your index finger on G string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
E7 to D

2. D → A chord transition

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.
D to A

3. A → E7 chord transition

To move from A to E7;

  1. While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
A to E7

4. A → B7 chord transition

To move from A to B7;

  1. Slide your index finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 2.
A to B7

5. 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.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in That'll Be the Day.

  • That'll Be the Day includes 38 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • That'll Be the Day contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how That'll Be the Day 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 → E7: 4%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → A: 17%