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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.

Johnny Mandel - Suicide Is Painless Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsEm7, A7, D, Bm, Em, Bm7, B7, G7, F#m
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

Em7ThroughearlymorningA7fogIsee,DvisionsoftheBmthingstobe
TheEmpainsthatarewithA7heldforme,
IDrealizeandBm7IcanseeB7
ThatEm7suicideisA7painless,
itDbringsonmanyBm7changes
AndG7IcanF#mtakeorEmleaveitA7ifIBmpleaseBm
IEm7trytofindaA7waytomakeDallourlittleBmjoysrelate
EmWithoutthateverA7presenthate.
ButDnowIknowthatBm7it’stoolate,
andB7thatEm7suicideisA7painlessitDbringsonmanyBm7changes
AndG7IcanF#mtakeorEmleaveitA7ifIBmpleaseBm
TheEm7gameoflifeisA7hardtoplay,DI’mgonnaloseitBm7anyway
EmThelosingcardI’llA7somedaylay,soDthisisallIhavetoBm7sayB7
ThatEm7suicideisA7painless,itDbringsonmanyBm7changes
AndG7IcanF#mtakeorEmleaveitA7ifIBmpleaseBm
Em7TheonlywaytowinisA7cheat
AndDlayitdownBm7beforeI’mbeat
AndEmtoanotherA7givemyseat
ForDthat’stheonlypainlessBm7featB7
ThatEm7suicideisA7painless,itDbringsonmanyBm7changes
AndG7IcanF#mtakeorEmleaveitA7ifIBmpleaseBm
TheEm7swordoftimewillA7pierceourskins
ItDdoesn’thurtwhenBm7itbegins
ButEmasitworksitsA7wayonin
TheDpaingrowsBm7strongerwatchit B7grin,
ThatEm7suicideisA7painless,itDbringsonmanyBm7changes
AndG7IcanF#mtakeorEmleaveitA7ifIBmpleaseBm
AEm7bravemanonceA7requestedme
ToDanswerquestionsBm7thatarekey
IsEmittobeorA7nottobe?
AndDIreplied“Oh,Bm7whyaskme?”B7
ThatEm7suicideisA7painless,itDbringsonmanyBm7changes
AndG7IcanF#mtakeorEmleaveitA7ifIBmpleaseBm
AndyoucanF#mdotheEmsamething,A7ifyouBmpleaseBm
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.
ArtistJohnny Mandel
AlbumM*A*S*H (Original Soundtrack Recording)
GenresPop
Year1970
KeyEm
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Suicide Is Painless on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Johnny Mandel - Suicide Is Painless on ukulele requires 9 chords and 15 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.

Suicide Is Painless uses these transitions most often: A7 → D (18), D → Bm7 (16), and Em → A7 (13). 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 Em7 - A7 chord transition.

1. Em7 → A7 chord transition

Ukulele Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-2Ukulele Em7 chord diagram
Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram

Switching from Em7 to A7:

  1. While playing Em7, lift your middle finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.

This transition appears in the section, played 12 times.

Em7 to A7

2. A7 → D chord transition

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

Here's how to move from A7 to D:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 18 times.

A7 to D

3. D → Bm chord transition

Ukulele D chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-0Ukulele D chord diagram
Ukulele Bm chord diagram Fingering: 4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele Bm chord diagram

To move from D to Bm:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

D to Bm

4. Bm → Em chord transition

Ukulele Bm chord diagram Fingering: 4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele Bm chord diagram
Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram

Here's how to move from Bm to Em:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

Bm to Em

5. Em → A7 chord transition

Switching from Em to A7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 13 times.

6. D → Bm7 chord transition

Switching from D to Bm7:

  1. While playing D, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  2. Keep index finger on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 16 times.

7. Bm7 → B7 chord transition

To move from Bm7 to B7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 6 times.

8. B7 → Em7 chord transition

To move from B7 to Em7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 6 times.

9. Bm7 → G7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Bm7 to G7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 6 times.

10. G7 → F#m chord transition

To move from G7 to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 6 times.

11. F#m → Em chord transition

Switching from F#m to Em:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 7 times.

12. A7 → Bm chord transition

Switching from A7 to Bm:

  1. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 1 to fret 2.
  2. Place ring finger on G string fret 4.

This transition appears in the section, played 7 times.

13. Bm → Em7 chord transition

To move from Bm to Em7:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 5 times.

14. Bm7 → Em chord transition

To move from Bm7 to Em:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.

15. Bm → F#m chord transition

Here's how to move from Bm to F#m:

  1. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 4 to E string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section.

Suicide Is Painless chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Suicide Is Painless.

  • Suicide Is Painless includes 111 chord transitions, 15 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Suicide Is Painless contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Suicide Is Painless connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After A7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are D (41%), D7 (18%), and Dm (13%).
    • A7 → D: 41%
    • A7 → Bm: 1%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (28%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → Bm: 5%
    • D → Bm7: 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.