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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 - Smile Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, C7, A, Dm, A7, Fm, G
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

CSmilethoughyourheartisaching
C7Smileeventhoughit’sbreaking
CWhenthereareAcloudsintheDmsky
You’llgetA7by
IfyouDmsmilethroughyourfearandsorrow
FmSmileandmaybetomorrow
CYou’llseetheAsuncomeshiningDmthrough
GForyou
CLightupyourfacewithgladness
C7Hideeverytraceofsadness
CAlthoughaAtearmaybeDmeversoA7near
That’stheDmtimeyoumustkeepontrying
FmSmilewhat’stheuseofcrying
CYou’llfindthatAlifeisstillDmworthwhile
GIfyou’lljustCsmile
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
AlbumSmile Sountrack
GenresJazz
Year1954
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

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

Nat King Cole - Smile on ukulele requires 7 chords and 8 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.

Smile uses these transitions most often: A → Dm (4), C → A (4), and A7 → Dm (2). 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 - C7 chord transition.

1. C → C7 chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele C7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-1Ukulele C7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from C to C7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

C to C7

2. C → A chord transition

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

Here's how to move from C to A:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

C to A

3. A → Dm chord transition

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

Switching from A to Dm:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

A to Dm

4. Dm → A7 chord transition

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

To move from Dm to A7:

  1. While playing Dm, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  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.

Dm to A7

5. Dm → Fm chord transition

Here's how to move from Dm to Fm:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

6. Fm → C chord transition

Here's how to move from Fm to C:

  1. While playing Fm, first lift your index finger, middle finger, and pinky.
  2. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

7. Dm → G chord transition

Switching from Dm to G:

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

8. G → C chord transition

Here's how to move from G to C:

  1. While playing G, 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.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

Smile chord transition analysis

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

  • Smile includes 24 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Smile contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Smile 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 → C7: 2%
    • C → A: 1%
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → G: 16%
    • Dm → A7: 1%
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.