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Sam Cooke - Twistin’ The Night Away Chords

ChordsG, Em, C, D
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

GLetmetellyou’boutaplace,EmsomewhereupaNewYorkway
CWherethepeoplearesogay;Dtwistin’thenightaway
GHeretheyhavealotoffun,Emputtingtroubleontherun
CMan,youfindtheoldandyoung,Dtwistin’thenight Gaway.
They’reGtwistin’,twistin’,everybody’sfeelinggreat
They’reCtwistin’,twistin’,they’reDtwistin’thenight Gaway
GHere’samanineveningclothes,Emhowhegothere,Idon’tknow,but
CMan,yououghtaseehimgo,Dtwistin’thenightaway
GHe’sdancingwiththechickinslacks,Emshe’samovingupandback
COhman,thereaingtnothinglikeDtwistin’thenight Gaway
They’reGtwistin’,twistin’,everybody’sfeelinggreat
They’reCtwistin’,twistin’,they’reDtwistin’thenight Gaway
LeanGup,leanEmback,leanCup,leanDback
GWatusi,nowEmFly,nowCTwist
They’reDtwistin’thenight Gaway
GHere’safellainbluejeans,Emdancingwithaolderqueen
CWho’sdolledupinadiamondringsandDtwistin’thenighta]way
GMan,yououghtaseehergo,Emtwistin’totherockandroll
CHereyoufindtheyoungandoldDtwistin’thenight Gaway
They’reGtwistin’,twistin’,everybody’sfeelinggreat
They’reCtwistin’,twistin’,they’reDtwistin’thenight Gaway
LeanGup,leanEmback,leanCup,leanDback
GWatusi,nowEmFly,nowCTwist
They’reDtwistin’thenight Gaway
ArtistSam Cooke
AlbumTwistin' the Night Away
GenresBlues, Soul
Year1962
KeyG
DifficultyEasy

How to play Twistin' The Night Away on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Sam Cooke - Twistin' The Night Away 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.

Twistin' The Night Away uses these transitions most often: C → D (13), D → G (13), and Em → C (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 G - Em chord transition.

1. G → Em chord transition

Here's how to move from G to Em:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

G to Em

2. 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 verse, played 10 times.

Em to C

3. C → D chord transition

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 13 times.

C to D

4. D → G chord transition

Switching 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 verse, played 13 times.

D to G

5. 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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Twistin' The Night Away.

  • Twistin' The Night Away includes 49 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Twistin' The Night Away contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Twistin' The Night Away 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 → Em: 9%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → D: 11%