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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.

Paul Anka - Papa Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsDm, Gm, A7, A#, C, F
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.

DmEverydaymypapawouldwork,Gmtotrytomakeendsmeet
A7Toseethatwewouldeat,keepthoseDmshoesuponmyfeet
DmEverynightmypapawouldtakeme,Gmandtuckmeinmybed
A7Kissmeonmyhead,afterDmallmyprayersweresaid
A#AndtherewereCyears,ofA7sadnessandofDmtears
A#Throughitall,CtogetherwewereFstrong
WewereA7strong,A#timeswereCrough
ButA7PapahewasDmtough,A#mamastoodbeGmsidehimallaA7long
DmGrowingupwiththemwaseasy,Gmthetimehadflewonby
TheA7yearsbegantofly,theyDmagedandsodidI
A#AndIcouldCtell,thatA7mamashewasn’tDmwell
A#PapaknewandCdeepdownsodidFshe,sodidA7she
A#WhensheCdied,A7PapabrokedownandheDmcried
AndA#allhecouldsaywas,Gm”God,whyher?TakeA7me!”
DmEverydayhesattheresleepingGminarockingchair
A7Heneverwentupstairs,Dmbecauseshewasn’tthere
DmThenonedaymyPapasaid,“Son,I’mGmproudofhowyou’vegrown”
A7Hesaid,“Gooutandmakeitonyourown.Don’tDmworry.I’mO.K.alone.”
Hesaid,Dm”Therearethingsthatyoumustdo”,hesaid,Gm”There’splacesyoumustsee”
AndhisA7eyesweresadashe,asheDmsaidgoodbyetome
DmEverytimeIkissmychildren,GmPapa’swordsringtrue
Hesaid,A7”Childrenlivethroughyou.LetthemDmgrow!They’llleaveyou,too”
DmIremembereverywordGmPapausedtosay,IA7kissmykidsandpray
Thatthey’llDmthinkofA#me,CthatDmway,GmsomedayDmA#CDm
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.
ArtistPaul Anka
AlbumAnka
GenresRock
Year1974
KeyDm
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Papa on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Paul Anka - Papa on ukulele requires 6 chords and 11 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.

Papa uses these transitions most often: A7 → Dm (14), Gm → A7 (10), and Dm → Gm (9). 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 Dm - Gm chord transition.

1. Dm → Gm chord transition

Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram
Ukulele Gm chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-1Ukulele Gm chord diagram

Switching from Dm 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 C string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 9 times.

Dm to Gm

2. Gm → A7 chord transition

Ukulele Gm chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-1Ukulele Gm chord diagram
Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram

Switching from Gm to A7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 10 times.

Gm to A7

3. A7 → Dm chord transition

Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram
Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the section, played 14 times.

A7 to Dm

4. Dm → A# chord transition

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

Here's how to move from Dm to A#:

  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 G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 8 times.

Dm to A#

5. A# → C chord transition

To move from A# to C:

  1. While playing A#, 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.

This transition appears in the section, played 8 times.

6. C → A7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C to A7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

7. 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.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

8. F → A7 chord transition

Here's how to move from F to A7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

9. A7 → A# chord transition

Here's how to move from A7 to A#:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

10. A# → Gm chord transition

Here's how to move from A# 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 G string fret 3 to E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

11. C → Dm chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

Papa chord transition analysis

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

  • Papa includes 64 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Papa contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Papa connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → Gm: 5%
    • Dm → A#: 1%
    After A7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are D (41%), D7 (18%), and Dm (13%).
    • A7 → Dm: 13%
    • A7 → A#: 0%
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.