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Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman Chords

ChordsC, Em, Am, C7, F, G7, G, E7, D7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-2Guitar D7 chord diagram


[C] [Em] [Am] [C7] [F] [G7] [C] [G7]
When a [C]man loves a [Em]woman,
[Am]can’t keep his mind on [C7]nothing else
[F]He’ll trade the [G7]world, for the [C]good thing he’s found [G7]


If she is [C]bad he can’t [Em]see it, [Am]he can do no [C7]wrong
[F]Turn his back on his [G7]best friend, if he [C]put her down [G7]


When a [C]man loves a [Em]woman, [Am]spend his very last [C7]dime
[F]Tryin’ to [G7]hold on to [C]what he needs [G7]


He’d give up [C]all of his [Em]comfort, [Am]sleep out in the [C7]rain
[F]If she said [G7]that’s the way it [C]ought to be [C7]


[F]Well, this [G]man loves a [C]woman [C7]
[F]I gave you [G]everything I [C]had [C7]
[F]Tryin’ to [G7]hold on to [C]your [E7]precious [Am]love
[D7]Baby, please don’t treat me [G]bad [G]


When a [C]man loves a [Em]woman, [Am]down deep in his [C7]soul
[F]She can [G7]bring him such [C]misery [G7]


If she [C]plays him for a [Em]fool, [Am]he’s the last [C7]one to know
[F]Lovin’ [G7]eyes, can’t ever [C]see [C7]


[F]Well, this [G]man loves a [C]woman [C7]
[F]I gave you [G]everything I [C]had [C7]
[F]Tryin’ to [G7]hold on to [C]your [E7]precious [Am]love
[D7]Baby, please don’t treat me [G]bad [G]


When a [C]man loves a [Em]woman, [Am]she can do no [C7]wrong
[F]He can never [G7]own some [C]other girl [G7]


Yes when a [C]man loves a [Em]woman, [Am]I know exactly how [C7]he feels
‘Cause [F]baby, baby, [G7]baby, you’re my [C]world [G7]
[C] [Em] [Am] [C7] [F] [G7] [C] [G7]

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AlbumWhen a Man Loves a Woman
GenresSoul
Year1966
KeyC

How to play When A Man Loves A Woman on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman on guitar requires 9 chords and 13 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.

When A Man Loves A Woman uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (19), C7 → F (16), and F → G7 (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 C - Em chord transition.

1. C → Em chord transition

To move from C to Em;

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

2. Em → Am chord transition

To move from Em to Am;

  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 G string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.
Em to Am

3. Am → C7 chord transition

To move from Am to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.
Am to C7

4. C7 → F chord transition

To move from C7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.
C7 to F

5. F → G7 chord transition

To move from F to G7;

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

6. G7 → C chord transition

To move from G7 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 1 and place it on A string fret 3.

7. C → C7 chord transition

To move from C to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

8. F → G chord transition

To move from F to G;

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

9. 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.

10. C → E7 chord transition

To move from C to E7;

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

11. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am;

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

12. Am → D7 chord transition

To move from Am to D7;

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

13. D7 → G chord transition

To move from D7 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 G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in When A Man Loves A Woman.

  • When A Man Loves A Woman includes 109 chord transitions, 13 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • When A Man Loves A Woman contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how When A Man Loves A Woman connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → Em: 8%
    • C → G7: 2%
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%