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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.

Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsDm, Gm, A7, D, G, Em7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

IfDmIcouldsavetimeinabottle
TheGmfirstthingthatA7I’dliketodo
IstoDmsaveeverydaytillGmeternitypasses Dmaway
JusttoGmspendthemwithDmyou.A7
IfDmIcouldmakedayslastforever
IfGmwordscouldmakewishescomeA7trueDm
I’dDmsaveeverydaylikeaGmtreasureandthen
DmAgain,IGmwouldspendthemwithDmyou.A7
ButthereDneverseemstobeenoughtime
ToDdothethingsyouwanttodoonceyouGfindthemDEm7A7
I’veDlookedaroundenoughtoknow
ThatDyou’retheoneIwanttogothroughGtimewith.DEm7A7
IfDmIhadaboxjustforwishes
AndGmdreamsthathadnevercomeA7trueDm
TheDmboxwouldbeemptyGmexceptforthememory
DmOfhowtheywereGmansweredbyDmyouA7
ButthereDneverseemstobeenoughtime
ToDdothethingsyouwanttodoonceyouGfindthemDEm7A7
I’veDlookedaroundenoughtoknow
ThatDyou’retheoneIwanttogothroughGtimewith.DEm7A7
Dm
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.
ArtistJim Croce
AlbumYou Don't Mess Around with Jim
GenresFolk, Folk Rock, Rock
Year1973
KeyDm
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Time In A Bottle on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle on guitar requires 6 chords and 7 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.

Time In A Bottle uses these transitions most often: Dm → Gm (9), A7 → Dm (6), and Gm → Dm (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 Dm - Gm chord transition.

1. Dm → Gm chord transition

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

Switching from Dm to Gm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

Dm to Gm

2. Gm → A7 chord transition

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

Switching from Gm to A7:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

Gm to A7

3. A7 → Dm chord transition

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

Switching from A7 to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

A7 to Dm

4. A7 → D chord transition

Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

A7 to D

5. D → G chord transition

Here's how to move from D to G:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

6. D → Em7 chord transition

Here's how to move from D to Em7:

  1. While playing D, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

7. Em7 → A7 chord transition

Switching from Em7 to A7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

Time In A Bottle chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Time In A Bottle.

  • Time In A Bottle includes 47 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Time In A Bottle contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Time In A Bottle 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 → Gm: 5%
    • Dm → A7: 1%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Em7: 0%
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.