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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.

Kathy Mattea - The Vacant Chair Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsA, E7, D, B7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

AE7A
AWeshallmeetbutweshallmisshim,
therewillDbeonevacantAchair;
Aweshalllingertocaresshim,
AWhileweB7breatheoureveningE7prayer
WhenaAyearagowegathered,
joywasDinhismildblueAeyes,
AButagoldenchordissevered,
AndourhopesinE7ruinAlie.
AWeshallDmeetbutweshallAmisshim,
AtherewillbeonevacantE7chair,
E7WeshallAlingerto Dcaresshim,
whileweAbreatheourE7eveningAprayer.
ADE7A
AAtourfireside,sadandlonely,
oftenDwillthebosomAswell
Aatremembranceofthestory,
HowourB7nobleWillieE7fell;
HowE7heAstrovetobearourbanner
throughtheDthickestoftheAfight,
AAndupholdourcountry’shonor,
inthestrengthofE7manhood’sAnight.
AWeshallDmeetbutweshallAmisshim,
therewillbeonevacantE7chair,
E7WeshallAlingerto Dcaresshim,
whileweAbreatheourE7eveningAprayer.
ATrue,theytelluswreathsofglory
everDmorewilldeckhisAbrow,
butthissoothestheAanguishonly,
SweepingB7overourheartstringsE7now.
Sleep Atoday,ohearlyfallen,
inthyDgreenandnarrowAbed,
ADirgesfromthepineandcypress
minglewiththeE7tearsweAshed.
AWeshallDmeetbutweshallAmisshim,
AtherewillbeonevacantE7chair,
E7WeshallAlingerto Dcaresshim,
whileweAbreatheE7oureveningAprayer.
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.
ArtistKathy Mattea
AlbumSongs Of The Civil War
GenresCountry, Folk
Year1991
KeyA
DifficultyEasy

How to play The Vacant Chair on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Kathy Mattea - The Vacant Chair 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.

The Vacant Chair uses these transitions most often: E7 → A (14), A → D (13), and D → A (12). 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 A - E7 chord transition.

1. A → E7 chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

A to E7

2. A → D chord transition

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

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 13 times.

A to D

3. A → B7 chord transition

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

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

A to B7

4. B7 → E7 chord transition

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

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

B7 to E7

5. D → E7 chord transition

To move from D to E7:

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

This transition appears in the interlude.

The Vacant Chair chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Vacant Chair.

  • The Vacant Chair includes 56 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • The Vacant Chair contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how The Vacant Chair 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 E7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are A (31%), Am (28%), and A7 (7%).
    • E7 → A: 31%
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.