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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.

The Killers - When You Were Young Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsD#, F, Gm, A#, Dm, Cm, Am
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓-↓↑-↓↑↓↑

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

  • Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
  • Guitar Cm chord diagram Fingering: x-3-1-0-1-3Guitar Cm chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

[Opening]
[D#] [D#] [F] [Gm] [A#] [D#] [D#] [F] [Gm] [A#] [D#]
You [D#]sit there in your [F]heart-[Gm]ache, [A#]waiting on some [D#]beautiful boy to
[D#]To save you from [F]your old [Gm]ways, [A#]you play forgiveness, [D#]watch it now here he comes

[chorus]
He [D#]doesn’t look a thing like [F] [Gm]Jesus, but he talks [A#]like a gentleman
[D#]Like you imagined, when you were [F] [Gm]young

[verse 2]
[A#] [D#]
[D#]Can we climb this mountain, [F]I don’t [Gm]know, [A#]higher now than ever before [D#]
[D#]I know we can make it if we [F]take it [Gm]slow, [A#]let’s take it easy, [D#]easy now, watch it go

[verse 3]
[D#]We’re burning down the highway [F]sky [Gm]line, on the [A#]back of a hurricane
[D#]That started turning, when you were [F] [Gm]young [A#] [D#]
When you were [F] [Gm]young [A#] [D#]

[verse 4]
And some[D#]times you [F]close your [Gm]eyes
And see the [A#]place where you used to [D#]live, when you were [F] [Gm]young [A#] [D#]

[verse 5]
[D#] [F] [Gm] [A#] [D#] [D#] [Dm] [Cm] [A#] [Am] [Gm] [F]
The say the [Cm]devil’s water, it ain’t so sweet. You [D#]don’t have to drink right [Gm]now.
[Dm]But you can dip your [Gm]feet. [F]Every once in a little [D#]while. [F] [Gm] [A#] [D#]

[verse 6]
[D#] [F] [Gm] [A#] [D#]
You [D#]sit there in your [F]heart-[Gm]ache, [A#]waiting on some [D#]beautiful boy to
[D#]To save you from [F]your old [Gm]ways, [A#]you play forgiveness, [D#]watch it now here he comes

[chorus]
He [D#]doesn’t look a thing like [F] [Gm]Jesus, but he talks [A#]like a gentleman
[D#]Like you imagined, when you were [F] [Gm]young, [A#](talks like a gentleman)
[D#]Like you imagined, [D#]when you were [F]young [Gm] [A#] [D#]

[Closing]
I said he doesn’t look a thing like [F]Jesus [Gm] [A#] [D#]
He doesn’t look a thing like [F]Jesus [Gm] [A#] [D#]
But more [D#]than [Dm]you’ll [Cm]ever [A#]know [Am] [Gm] [F]

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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.
ArtistThe Killers
AlbumSam's Town
GenresAlternative, Indie, Pop, Pop Rock
Year2006
KeyD#

How to play When You Were Young on Guitar (Step-by-step)

The Killers - When You Were Young on guitar requires 7 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 You Were Young uses these transitions most often: A# → D# (23), D# → F (23), and F → Gm (23). 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# - F chord transition.

1. D# → F chord transition

Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from D# to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 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 G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from B string fret 4 to D string fret 3.
D# to F

2. F → Gm chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram

To move from F to Gm;

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

3. Gm → A# chord transition

Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from Gm to A#;

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

4. A# → D# chord transition

Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram

To move from A# to D#;

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

5. D# → Dm chord transition

To move from D# to Dm;

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

6. Dm → Cm chord transition

To move from Dm to Cm;

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

7. Cm → A# chord transition

To move from Cm to A#;

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

8. A# → Am chord transition

To move from A# to Am;

  1. While playing A#, 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. Slide your ring finger on G string from fret 3 to fret 2.

9. Am → Gm chord transition

To move from Am to Gm;

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

10. F → Cm chord transition

To move from F to Cm;

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

11. Cm → D# chord transition

To move from Cm to D#;

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

12. D# → Gm chord transition

To move from D# to Gm;

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

13. Gm → Dm chord transition

To move from Gm to Dm;

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

When You Were Young chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in When You Were Young.

  • When You Were Young includes 111 chord transitions, 13 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how When You Were Young 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 A# (15%), G# (15%), and D (10%).
    • D# → F: 10%
    • D# → Gm: 6%
    After Gm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (15%), F (12%), and Dm (9%).
    • Gm → F: 12%
    • Gm → Dm: 9%
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.