James Taylor - Bartender’s Blues Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele D chord diagram
Ukulele Em7 chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram
Ukulele G7 chord diagram
Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele Am7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[D] [Em7] [D]
Now, [G]I’m just a bar[G7]tender, and I [C]don’t like my [Am7]work.
But I [D]don’t mind the money at [G]all. [D] [Em7] [D]I see
[G]lots of sad [G7]faces and [C]lots of bad [Am7]cases of
[D]folks with their backs to the [G]wall. [D] [Em7] [D]But I need
[chorus]
[G]four walls a[G7]round me to [C]hold my [Am7]life;
to [D]keep me from going a[G]stray; [D] [Em7] [D]and a
[G]honky-tonk [G7]angel to [C]hold me [Am7]tight
to [D]keep me from slipping a[G]way. [D] [Em7] [D]I can
[section 2]
[G]light up your [G7]smokes. I can [C]laugh at your [Am7]jokes.
I can [D]watch you fall down on your [G]knees. [D] [Em7] [D]I can
[G]close down this [G7]bar. I can [C]gas up my [Am7]car. I can
[D]pack up and mail in the [G]key. [D] [Em7] [D]But I need
[section 3]
[G]four walls a[G7]round me to [C]hold my [Am7]life;
to [D]keep me from going a[G]stray; [D] [Em7] [D]and a
[G]honky-tonk [G7]angel to [C]hold me [Am7]tight
to [D]keep me from slipping a[G]way. [D] [Em7] [D]Now, the
[Closing]
[G]smoke fills the [G7]air in this [C]honky-tonk [Am7]bar,
and I’m [D]thinking ’bout where I’d rather [G]be. [D] [Em7] [D]But I
[G]burned all my [G7]bridges; and I [C]sank all [Am7]ships; and I’m
[D]stranded at the edge of the [G]sea. [D] [Em7] [D]But I need
[chorus]
[G]four walls a[G7]round me to [C]hold my [Am7]life;
to [D]keep me from going a[G]stray; [D] [Em7] [D]and a
[G]honky-tonk [G7]angel to [C]hold me [Am7]tight
to [D]keep me from slipping a[G]way. [D] [Em7] [D]and a
[G]honky-tonk [G7]angel to [C]hold me [Am7]tight
to [D]keep me from slipping a[C]way. [G] [Am7] [G]
How to play Bartender's Blues on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
James Taylor - Bartender's Blues on ukulele requires 6 chords and 9 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.
Bartender's Blues uses these transitions most often: D → G (25), Am7 → D (13), and C → Am7 (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 D - Em7 chord transition.
1. D → Em7 chord transition
To move from D to Em7;
- While playing D, lift your ring finger from E string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
2. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
3. G → G7 chord transition
To move from G to G7;
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
4. G7 → C chord transition
To move from G7 to C;
- While playing G7, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
- Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 3.
5. C → Am7 chord transition
To move from C to Am7;
- While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
6. Am7 → D chord transition
To move from Am7 to D;
- Place index finger on G string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
7. D → C chord transition
To move from D to C;
- While playing D, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
8. C → G chord transition
To move from C to G;
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Place index finger on C string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on A string fret 2.
9. G → Am7 chord transition
To move from G to Am7;
- While playing G, first lift your index finger, middle finger, and ring finger.
Bartender's Blues chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Bartender's Blues.
- Bartender's Blues includes 119 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- Bartender's Blues contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how Bartender's Blues connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 29%
- D → C: 14%
After G, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → D: 24%
- G → G7: 2%