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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.

D#D#FGmA#D#D#FGmA#D#
YouD#sitthereinyourFheart-ache,A#waitingonsomeD#beautifulboyto
D#TosaveyoufromFyouroldGmways,A#youplayforgiveness,D#watchitnowherehecomes
HeD#doesn’tlookathinglikeFJesus,GmbuthetalksA#likeagentleman
D#Likeyouimagined,whenyouwereFyoungGm
A#D#
D#Canweclimbthismountain,FIdon’tGmknow,A#highernowthaneverbeforeD#
D#IknowwecanmakeitifweFtakeitGmslow,A#let’stakeiteasy,D#easynow,watchitgo
D#We’reburningdownthehighwayFskyGmline,ontheA#backofahurricane
D#Thatstartedturning,whenyouwereFyoungGmA#D#
WhenyouwereFyoungGmA#D#
And D#sometimesyouFcloseyourGmeyes
AndseetheA#placewhereyouusedtoD#live,whenyouwereFyoungGmA#D#
D#FGmA#D#D#DmCmA#AmGmF
ThesaytheCmdevil’swater,itain’tsosweet.YouD#don’thavetodrinkrightGmnow.
DmButyoucandipyourGmfeet.FEveryonceinalittleD#while.FGmA#D#
D#FGmA#D#
YouD#sitthereinyourFheart-ache,A#waitingonsomeD#beautifulboyto
D#TosaveyoufromFyouroldGmways,A#youplayforgiveness,D#watchitnowherehecomes
HeD#doesn’tlookathinglikeFJesus,GmbuthetalksA#likeagentleman
D#Likeyouimagined,whenyouwereFyoung,Gm(talksA#likeagentleman)
D#Likeyouimagined,D#whenyouwereFyoungGmA#D#
Isaidhedoesn’tlookathinglikeFJesusGmA#D#
Hedoesn’tlookathinglikeFJesusGmA#D#
ButmoreD#thanDmyou’llCmeverA#knowAmGmF
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#
DifficultyAdvanced

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

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 23 times.

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

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 23 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 23 times.

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

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 23 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

6. Dm → Cm chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

7. Cm → A# chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

9. Am → Gm chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse.

11. Cm → D# chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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.

This transition appears in the verse.

13. Gm → Dm chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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 (10%).
    • Gm → F: 12%
    • Gm → Dm: 10%
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.