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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.

The Killers - The Way It Was Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsE, C#m, G#m, A, B, F#m
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 C,G,D,F keys to play this song with easier chords.

EC#mG#mABEC#mG#mAB
EIdrovethroughtheC#mdesertlastG#mnightAB
EIcarriedtheC#mweightofourlastG#mfightAB
EElvissinging“Don’tbeC#mCruel”andIwonderG#mifyoufeelittoo
It’sAlikewe’regoingBunder.C#mSomewhereoutsidetheF#mlonelyEsmeraldaCountyG#mline,
ThequestionofmyAheartcametomyBmind.
IfIgoAonwithEyoubymyside,canitAbeEthewayBitwaswhenweAmet?
Didyou EforgetallaboutthoseBgoldennights?
EMaybeaC#mthiefstoleyourG#mheartAB
EOrmaybeweC#mjustdriftedG#mapart.
IArememberBdriving,Einmydaddy’sC#mcartotheairfield,G#mblanketonthehood,
ABacksagainsttheBwindshield.C#mBackthenthisthingwasF#mrunningonmomentum,
LoveandG#mtrust.ThatparadiseisAburiedintheBdust.
IfIgoAonwithEyoubymyside,canitAbeEthewayBitwaswhenweAmet?
Didyou EforgetallaboutthoseBgoldennights?(Thewayitwas,itwas)
F#mAllofourplansarefallingC#mthrough.F#mSometimesadream,itdon’tcomeBtrue.A
AEBAEB
ADarling.EDarling,(ifwegooncanitAbe)
CanitAbeEthewayBitwaswhenweAmet?DidyouEforgetallaboutthemBgoldennights?
IfIgoAonwithEyoubymyside,canitAbeEthewayBitwas?
MyheartisAtrue,girl,it’sEjustyou,I’mthinkingBof,canitAbethewayitEwas?
C#mG#mAB
E(MaybeaC#mthiefstoleyourG#mheart.)AB
EC#mG#mABEC#mG#mAB
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.
ArtistThe Killers
AlbumBattle Born
GenresAlternative, Indie, Rock
Year2012
KeyE
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play The Way It Was on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

The Killers - The Way It Was on ukulele requires 6 chords and 10 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 Way It Was uses these transitions most often: A → E (15), A → B (14), and G#m → A (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 E - C#m chord transition.

1. E → C#m chord transition

Ukulele E chord diagram Fingering: 4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 4.Ukulele E chord diagram
Ukulele C#m | D♭m chord diagram Fingering: 1-4-4-4Ukulele C#m | D♭m chord diagram

To move from E to C#m:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 12 times.

E to C#m

2. C#m → G#m chord transition

Ukulele C#m | D♭m chord diagram Fingering: 1-4-4-4Ukulele C#m | D♭m chord diagram
Ukulele G#m | A♭m chord diagram Fingering: 4-3-4-2Ukulele G#m | A♭m chord diagram

To move from C#m to G#m:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 12 times.

C#m to G#m

3. G#m → A chord transition

Ukulele G#m | A♭m chord diagram Fingering: 4-3-4-2Ukulele G#m | A♭m chord diagram
Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram

To move from G#m to A:

  1. While playing G#m, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 3 to G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the section, played 14 times.

G#m to A

4. A → B chord transition

Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
Ukulele B chord diagram Fingering: 4-3-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele B chord diagram

To move from A to B:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 14 times.

A to B

5. B → E chord transition

Switching from B to E:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 10 times.

6. B → C#m chord transition

To move from B to C#m:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

7. C#m → F#m chord transition

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

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

This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.

8. F#m → G#m chord transition

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

  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 C string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 4.

This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.

9. A → E chord transition

To move from A to E:

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

This transition appears in the section, played 15 times.

10. B → F#m chord transition

To move from B to F#m:

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

This transition appears in the section.

The Way It Was chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Way It Was.

  • The Way It Was includes 112 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • The Way It Was contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how The Way It Was connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After A, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
    • A → E: 12%
    • A → B: 4%
    After E, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are A (25%), D (14%), and B (11%).
    • E → A: 25%
    • E → B: 11%
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.