Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
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.

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Dm, G, Em, Am, Bb, F, Fm, D
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

SameCbed,butitfeelsjustalittlebitDmbiggernow
GOursongontheGradio,butitdon’tCsoundthesameEm
AmWhenourfriendstalkCaboutyouallthatitdoesisjustDmtearmedown
GCausemyheartbreaksalittlewhenIChearyourname
ItalljustsoundslikeAmoh,oh,Emoh
BbHmmmtooyoung,toodumbtoCrealize
ThatIshouldhaveboughtyouFflowersGandheldyourChand
ShouldhavegaveyouallmyFhoursGwhenIhadtheCchance
TakeyoutoeveryFpartycauseallyouGwantedtodowasAmdance
DmNowmybabyisFdancing,butshe’sFmdancingwithanotherCmanEm
AmMypride,Cmyego,myneedsandmyDmselfishways
GCausedagoodstrongwomanlikeyoutowalkCoutmylifeEm
NowIAmnever,CnevergettocleanuptheDmmessImade
GAndithauntsmeeverytimeIcloseCmyeyes
ItalljustsoundslikeAmoh,oh,Emoh
BbHmmmtooyoung,toodumbtoCrealize
ThatIshouldhaveboughtyouFflowersGandheldyourChand
ShouldhavegaveyouallmyFhoursGwhenIhadtheCchance
TakeyoutoeveryFpartycauseallyouGwantedtodowasAmdance
DmNowmybabyisFdancing,butshe’sFmdancingwithanotherCmanEm
AlthoughitFhurtsI’llbetheGfirsttosaythatIwasCwrong
Oh,IDknowI’mprobablymuchtoolate
TotryandDmapologizeformymistakes
ButIjustGwantyoutoknow
IhopehebuysyouFflowers,GIhopeheholdsyourChands
GiveyouallhisFhoursGwhenhehastheCchance
TakeyoutoeveryFpartycauseIGrememberhowmuchyouAmlovedtodance
DDoallthethingsIFshouldhavedoneFmwhenIwasyourCman!
DDoallthethingsIFshouldhavedoneFmwhenIwasyourCman!
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.
ArtistBruno Mars
AlbumUnorthodox Jukebox
GenresPop
Year2012
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play When I Was Your Man on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man on guitar requires 9 chords and 21 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 I Was Your Man uses these transitions most often: G → C (11), F → G (10), and C → F (6). 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 - Dm chord transition.

1. C → Dm chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

Switching from C to Dm:

  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. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

C to Dm

2. Dm → G chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

Here's how to move from Dm to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from E 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. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

Dm to G

3. G → C chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 11 times.

G to C

4. C → Em chord transition

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

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

C to Em

5. Em → Am chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

6. Am → C chord transition

Switching from Am to C:

  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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

7. Em → Bb chord transition

To move from Em to Bb:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

8. Bb → C chord transition

To move from Bb to C:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

9. G → F chord transition

Here's how to move from G to F:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  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 A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 3 times.

10. C → F chord transition

Switching from C 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. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

11. G → Am chord transition

Here's how to move from G to Am:

  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 G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

12. Am → Dm chord transition

To move from Am to Dm:

  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. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

13. Dm → F chord transition

Switching from Dm to F:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

14. F → Fm chord transition

To move from F to Fm:

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

15. Fm → C chord transition

To move from Fm to C:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

16. Em → F chord transition

Here's how to move from Em to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

17. Em → D chord transition

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.

18. D → Dm chord transition

Here's how to move from D to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

19. Am → D chord transition

Here's how to move from Am to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

20. D → F chord transition

Here's how to move from D to F:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

21. C → D chord transition

Here's how to move from C to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse.

When I Was Your Man chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in When I Was Your Man.

  • When I Was Your Man includes 84 chord transitions, 21 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • When I Was Your Man contains 7 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how When I Was Your Man 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 → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Am: 13%
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.