Coldplay - What If Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
[Opening]
[Em]What if [G]there was no [Am]life?
[D]Nothing wrong, nothing [C]right.
[Em]What if [G]there was no [Am]time?
[D]And no reason or [C]rhyme.
[Am]What if you should [D]decide, that
you [Em]don’t want me [C]there by your [D]side.
That you [Em]don’t want me [C]there in your [D]life.
[verse 2]
[Em]What if [G]I got it [Am]wrong
[D]And no poem or [C]song
[Em]Could put [G]right what I got [Am]wrong
[D]Or make you feel I [C]belong
[Am]What if you should [D]decide, that you
[Em]don’t want me [C]there by your [D]side.
That you [Em]don’t want me [C]there in your [D]life.
[verse 3]
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[Em]Let’s take a breath jump [D]over the side
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[Em]How can you know it if you [D]don’t even try
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[verse 4]
[Em]Every [G]step that you [Am]take
[D]Could be your biggest [C]mistake
[Em]It could [G]bend or it could [Am]break
[D]But that’s the risk that you [C]take
[Am]What if you should [D]decide
That you [Em]don’t want me [C]there in your [D]life
That you [Em]don’t want me [C]there by your [D]side.
[Closing]
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[Em]Let’s take a breath jump [D]over the side
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[Em]How can you know it if you [D]don’t even try
[F]Oooh, that’s [C][D]right
[D]Ohhhhh
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[Em]Let’s take a breath jump [D]over the side
[C]Oooh, that’s [Am]right
[Em]You know that darkness always [D]turns into light
[F]Oooh, that’s [C][D]right
How to play What If on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Coldplay - What If 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.
What If uses these transitions most often: D → C (13), C → Am (10), and Am → D (9). 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 Em - G chord transition.
1. Em → G chord transition
To move from Em to G;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Place index finger on A string fret 2.
2. G → Am chord transition
To move from G to Am;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
3. Am → D chord transition
To move from Am to D;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
4. D → C chord transition
To move from D to C;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
5. C → Em chord transition
To move from C to Em;
- While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
6. C → Am chord transition
To move from C to Am;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
7. D → Em chord transition
To move from D to Em;
- While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
8. Am → Em chord transition
To move from Am to Em;
- While playing Am, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
9. D → F chord transition
To move from D to F;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
10. F → C chord transition
To move from F to C;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
What If chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in What If.
- What If includes 85 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- What If contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how What If connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → Em: 17%
- D → C: 14%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → D: 11%
- C → Am: 10%