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14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?We analyzed 14,015 chord transitions and ranked the 100 most repeated ones. Even the first 10 will transform your practice routine. The top transition appears in 23% of all songs.

Nat King Cole - The Ballad Of Cat Ballou Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, F, G7, Em, Dm, Am, G, C#
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

CFG7C
CWellnowfriendsjustlendanearforyou’re
FnowabouttoCheartheFballadofCat CBallou
It’saEmsongthat’snewlymadeand DmProfessorSamTheShade
AndtheCSunriseAmKidareFsingingG7itforCyou
CCatBallouAmCat FBallouC
It’saAmhangingdayinCWolfCityWyomingWolfCityWyoming
FeighteenninetyCfour,they’regonnaGdropCatBallou
Throughthe GgallowsCfloorAmFG7C
SheAmkilledamaninCWolfCityWyomingWolfCityWyoming
Fkilledamanit’sCtrue
AndthatisGwhythey’reahanging
HangingCat CBallouFG7C
Shehasthe
CsmileofanangelAmfightslikethedevil
TheDmeyesofanG7angelDmbitesliketheG7devil
TheCfaceofanangelIAmsayshe’sthedevil
She’sDmmeanandG7evilthroughandCthrough
Cat G7BallouCat CBallou
She’sGmeanandevilthroughandCthroughCFG7C
WithherAmoutlawbandthey’reCnowtellingastory
NowtellingastoryFhowsherodetheCplain
ThewildestGgalinthewest
since GCalamityCJaneAmFG7C
And Amtoday’sthedaythatCshe’sgoingtoglory
She’sgoingtogloryFforthewaysheCsinned
They’llbeaGspeedinghersoul..
OnawaywardCwindC#C
Shehasthe
CsmileofanangelAmfightslikethedevil
TheDmeyesofanG7angelDmbitesliketheG7devil
TheCfaceofanangelIAmsayshe’sthedevil
She’sDmmeanandG7evilthroughandCthrough
Cat G7BallouCat CBallou
She’sGmeanandevilthroughandCthroughF.
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on the ukulele.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master ukulele today with the 100 most repeated chord transitions from 14,015 analyzed.
ArtistNat King Cole
AlbumCat Ballou Soundtrack
GenresJazz
Year1965
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play The Ballad Of Cat Ballou on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Nat King Cole - The Ballad Of Cat Ballou on ukulele requires 8 chords and 12 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.

The Ballad Of Cat Ballou uses these transitions most often: G7 → C (13), C → Am (12), and C → F (10). 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 - F chord transition.

1. C → F chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram

Switching from C to F:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 10 times.

C to F

2. F → G7 chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from F to G7:

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 7 times.

F to G7

3. G7 → C chord transition

Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram
Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram

Here's how to move from G7 to C:

  1. While playing G7, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 13 times.

G7 to C

4. C → Em chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram

To move from C to Em:

  1. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on C string fret 4.
  2. Place index finger on A string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

C to Em

5. Em → Dm chord transition

To move from Em to Dm:

  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. Slide your ring finger on C string from fret 4 to fret 2.

This transition appears in the section.

6. Dm → C chord transition

Here's how to move from Dm to C:

  1. While playing Dm, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Lift your ring finger from C string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section.

7. C → Am chord transition

Here's how to move from C to Am:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 12 times.

8. Am → F chord transition

Here's how to move from Am to F:

  1. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

9. C → G chord transition

Here's how to move from C to G:

  1. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on C string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 6 times.

10. Am → Dm chord transition

Here's how to move from Am to Dm:

  1. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place ring finger on C string fret 2.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

11. Dm → G7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Dm to G7:

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

This transition appears in the chorus, played 6 times.

12. C → C# chord transition

Here's how to move from C to C#:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 1.
  3. Place pinky on A string fret 4.

This transition appears in the section.

The Ballad Of Cat Ballou chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Ballad Of Cat Ballou.

  • The Ballad Of Cat Ballou includes 88 chord transitions, 12 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • The Ballad Of Cat Ballou contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how The Ballad Of Cat Ballou connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%
    • G7 → Dm: 3%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains extracted from real songs. See which songs use each chain, learn the finger transitions, and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.