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One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful Chords

ChordsD, G, A, Bm, Em, E
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

DGADGA
AYou’re Dinsecure,
GDon’tknowwhatAfor,
You’returningDheadswhenyouGwalkthroughtheAdoor,
Don’tneed Dmakeup,toGcoverDup,
BeingthewaythatyouDareisAenough
DEveryoneBmelseintheroomcanAseeit,
DEveryoneGelsebutEmyou
BabyyouDlightupmyGworldlike Anobodyelse,
ThewaythatDyouflipyourGhairgetsmeAoverwhelmed,
ButwhenyouDsmileatthegrounditain’tBmhardtoAtell,
Youdon’tDknow,ohoh,
Youdon’tknowyou’rebeautiful,
IfonlyGyousawwhatAIcansee,
You’ll DunderstandwhyIGwantyousoAdesperately,
RightnowI’mDlookingatGyouandIAcan’tbelieve,
Youdon’tDknow,oh,ohGoh,
BmYoudon’tknowyou’reAbeautiful,ohoh,
AThat’swhatmakesyou Dbeautiful
GBm
DSocomeon,GyougotitAwrong,
DToproveI’mright,IputGitinaAsong,
Idon’tknowDwhy,you’reGbeingAshy,
AndDturnawaywhenIGlookintoyourAeyeeyeeyes
DEveryoneBmelseintheroomcanAseeit,
DEveryoneGelsebutEyou
BabyyouDlightupmyGworldlike Anobodyelse,
ThewaythatDyouflipyourGhairgetsmeAoverwhelmed,
ButwhenyouDsmileatthegrounditain’tBmhardtoAtell,
Youdon’tDknow,ohoh,
Youdon’tknowyou’rebeautiful,
IfonlyGyousawwhatAIcansee,
You’ll DunderstandwhyIGwantyousoAdesperately,
RightnowI’mDlookingatGyouandIAcan’tbelieve,
Youdon’tDknow,oh,ohGoh,
BmYoudon’tknowyou’reAbeautiful,ohoh,
AThat’swhatmakesyou Dbeautiful
ANanaGnananaBmnanaAna
BabyyouDlightupmyGworldlike Anobodyelse,
ThewaythatDyouflipyourGhairgetsmeAoverwhelmed,
ButwhenyouGsmileatthegrounditain’tAhardtotell,
Youdon’tBmknow,ohoh,
EmYoudon’tknowyou’re Dbeautiful,
BabyyouDlightupmyGworldlike Anobodyelse,
ThewaythatDyouflipyourGhairgetsmeAoverwhelmed,
ButwhenyouDsmileatthegrounditain’tBmhardtoAtell,
Youdon’tDknow,ohoh,
Youdon’tknowyou’rebeautiful,
IfonlyGyousawwhatAIcansee,
You’ll DunderstandwhyIGwantyousoAdesperately,
RightnowI’mDlookingatGyouandIAcan’tbelieve,
Youdon’tDknow,oh,ohGoh,
BmYoudon’tknowyou’reAbeautiful,ohoh,
AThat’swhatmakesyou Dbeautiful
AlbumUp All Night
GenresPop
Year2011
KeyD
DifficultyEasy

How to play What Makes You Beautiful on Guitar (Step-by-step)

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful on guitar requires 6 chords and 11 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 Makes You Beautiful uses these transitions most often: A → D (37), D → G (32), and G → A (26). 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 D - G chord transition.

1. D → G chord transition

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 verse, played 32 times.

D to G

2. G → A chord transition

To move from G to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 26 times.

G to A

3. A → D chord transition

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 37 times.

A to D

4. D → Bm chord transition

Switching from D to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 5 times.

D to Bm

5. Bm → A chord transition

Switching from Bm to A:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 9 times.

6. G → Em chord transition

Switching 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.

7. Em → D chord transition

Switching 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 chorus, played 2 times.

8. G → Bm chord transition

Switching 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 chorus, played 5 times.

9. G → E chord transition

Switching from G to E:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

10. E → D chord transition

Switching from E to D:

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

This transition appears in the chorus.

11. Bm → Em chord transition

Here's how 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 chorus.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in What Makes You Beautiful.

  • What Makes You Beautiful includes 130 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • What Makes You Beautiful contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how What Makes You Beautiful 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 → G: 29%
    • D → A: 17%
    After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → D: 29%
    • A → G: 13%