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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.

Sammy Davis Jr. - Mr. Bojangles Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsF, Am, Dm, Bb, C, A7, G7, Gm
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

[Opening]
[F] [Am] [Dm] [F] [F] [Am] [Dm] [F]
[F]I knew a man Bo[Am]jangles and he [Dm]danced for you [F]
[Bb]In worn out [C]shoes
With [F]silver hair a [Am]ragged shirt and [Dm]baggy pants [F]
[Bb]He did the old soft [C]shoe
[Bb]He jumped so [Am]high [A7]jumped so [Dm]high [F]
[F]Then he [G7]lightly touched [Gm]down [C]

[chorus]
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [F]dance [Am] [Dm] [C]

[section 2]
I [F]met him in a [Am]cell in [Dm]New Orleans [F] [Bb]I was down and [C]out
He [F]looked at me to [Am]be the [Dm]eyes of age [F]
[Bb]As he spoke right [C]out
[Bb]He talked of his [Am]life [A7]talked of his [Dm]life [F]
[F]He laughed [G7]slapped his leg a [Gm]step [C]

[section 3]
He [F]said his name Bo[Am]jangles then he [Dm]danced a lick [F]
[Bb]Across the [C]cell
He [F]grabbed his pants a [Am]better stance oh he [Dm]jumped up high [F]
[Bb]He clicked his [C]heels
[Bb]He let go a [Am]laugh [A7]let go a [Dm]laugh [F]
[F]Shook back his [G7]clothes all a[Gm]round [C]

[section 4]
He [F]danced for those at [Am]minstrel shows and [Dm]county fairs [F]
[Bb]Throughout the [C]south
He [F]spoke with tears of [Am]fifteen years how his [Dm]dog and he [F]
[Bb]Travelled a[C]bout
[Bb]His dog up and [Am]died [A7]up and [Dm]died [F]
[F]After twenty [G7]years he still [Gm]grieved [C]

[Closing]
He said I [F]dance now at [Am]every chance in [Dm]honky tonks [F]
[Bb]For drinks and [C]tips
But [F]most of the time I [Am]spend behind these [Dm]county bars [F]he said
[Bb]I drinks a [C]bit
[Bb]He shook his [Am]head [A7]as he shook his [Dm]head [F]
[F]I heard [G7]someone ask him [Gm]please [C]

[chorus]
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles
[Dm]Mister Bo[C]jangles [F]dance [Am] [Dm] [C] [F]

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.
ArtistSammy Davis Jr.
AlbumSingle
GenresCountry
Year1973
KeyF
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Mr. Bojangles on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Sammy Davis Jr. - Mr. Bojangles on ukulele requires 8 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.

Mr. Bojangles uses these transitions most often: Dm → F (17), Am → Dm (14), and F → Am (14). 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 F - Am chord transition.

1. F → Am chord transition

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

To move from F to Am;

  1. While playing F, lift your index finger from E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
F to Am

2. Am → Dm chord transition

Ukulele Am chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-0-0Ukulele Am chord diagram
Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram

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.
Am to Dm

3. Dm → F chord transition

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

To move from Dm to F;

  1. While playing Dm, lift your ring finger from C string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
Dm to F

4. F → Bb chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from F to Bb;

  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 G string fret 3.
F to Bb

5. Bb → C chord transition

To move from Bb to C;

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

6. C → F chord transition

To move 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.

7. Bb → Am chord transition

To move from Bb to Am;

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

8. Am → A7 chord transition

To move from Am to A7;

  1. While playing Am, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on C string fret 1.

9. A7 → Dm chord transition

To move from A7 to Dm;

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

10. F → G7 chord transition

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.

11. G7 → Gm chord transition

To move from G7 to Gm;

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

12. Gm → C chord transition

To move from Gm to C;

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

13. C → Dm chord transition

To move from C to Dm;

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

Mr. Bojangles chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Mr. Bojangles.

  • Mr. Bojangles includes 126 chord transitions, 13 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Mr. Bojangles contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Mr. Bojangles connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → Am: 11%
    • F → Bb: 5%
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → C: 18%
    • Dm → F: 14%
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.