Skip to song content

Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends Chords

ChordsG, Bm, Em, D, C, Cm
Strumming↓-↓-↓-↓↑

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

GSummerhasBmcomeandpassed
TheEminnocentcanDneverlast
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
GLikemyfathers’Bmcometopass
EmSevenyearshasDgonesofast
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
EmHerecomestheBmrainagain
CFallingfromtheGstars
EmDrenchedinmyBmpainagain
CBecomingwhoweDare
GAsmyBmmemoryrests
ButEmneverforgetsDwhatIlost
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
GSummerhasBmcomeandpassed
TheEminnocentcanDneverlast
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
GRingouttheBmbellsagain
EmLikewedidwhenDspringbegan
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
EmHerecomestheBmrainagain
CFallingfromtheGstars
EmDrenchedinmyBmpainagain
CBecomingwhoweDare
GAsmyBmmemoryrests
ButEmneverforgetsDwhatIlost
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
GSummerhasBmcomeandpassed
TheEminnocentcanDneverlast
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
GLikemyfather’sBmcometopass
EmTwentyyearshasDgonesofast
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
CWakemeupCmwhenSeptemberGends
ArtistGreen Day
AlbumAmerican Idiot
Year2004
KeyG
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Wake Me Up When September Ends on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends on guitar requires 6 chords and 10 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.

Wake Me Up When September Ends uses these transitions most often: C → Cm (10), Cm → G (10), and Bm → Em (8). 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 - Bm chord transition.

1. G → Bm chord transition

Here's how to move from G to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

G to Bm

2. Bm → Em chord transition

To move from Bm to Em:

  1. While playing Bm, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

Bm to Em

3. Em → D chord transition

Here's how 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 verse, played 8 times.

Em to D

4. D → C chord transition

To move from D to C:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

D to C

5. C → Cm chord transition

Here's how to move from C to Cm:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

6. Cm → G chord transition

To move from Cm to G:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

7. 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 chorus, played 4 times.

8. Bm → C chord transition

Switching from Bm to C:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

9. C → G chord transition

To move from C to G:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

10. 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 chorus, played 2 times.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Wake Me Up When September Ends.

  • Wake Me Up When September Ends includes 72 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Wake Me Up When September Ends contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Wake Me Up When September Ends 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 → G: 35%
    • C → D: 11%