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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 Cash - Big River Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsF, Bb, C7, G, F7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

  • Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
  • Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Ukulele C7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-1Ukulele C7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele F7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-3-1-3Ukulele F7 chord diagram

[chorus]
[F] [F] [F] [F] [Bb] [Bb] [F] [F] [C7] [F] [F]
[F]Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry
[F]And I showed the clouds how to cover up a [G]clear blue [C7]sky
And the [F]tears that I cried for that [F7]woman,
are gonna [Bb]flood you Big River
Then [F]I’m gonna sit right [C7]here until I [F]die

[Opening]
[F]I met her accidentally in St. Paul, Minnesota
[F]And it tore me up every time I heard her [G]drawl, southern [C7]drawl
Then I [F]heard my dream was back [F7]downstream,
[Bb]cavorting in Davenport
And I [F]followed you, Big [C7]River, when you [F]called

[interlude]
[F] [F] [F] [F] [Bb] [Bb] [F] [F] [C7] [F] [F]

[section 2]
[F]Then you took me to St. Louis later on down the river
[F]A freighter said she’s been here but she’s [G]gone, boy, she’s [C7]gone
[F]I found her trail in Memphis, but she [Bb]just walked up the block
She raised a [F]few eyebrows and then she [C7]went on down a[F]lone

[Closing]
[F]Now, won’t you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on
[F]Take that woman on down to New Or[G]leans, New Or[C7]leans
[F]Go on, I’ve had enough, dump my [Bb]blues down in the gulf
[F]She loves you, Big [C7]River, more than [F]me

[chorus]
[F]Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry
[F]And I showed the clouds how to cover up a [G]clear blue [C7]sky
And the [F]tears that I cried for that [F7]woman, are gonna [Bb]flood you Big River
Then [F]I’m gonna sit right [C7]here until I [F]die

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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 Cash
AlbumSings the Songs That Made Him Famous
GenresCountry, Rock and roll, Rockabilly
Year1958
KeyF

How to play Big River on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Johnny Cash - Big River on ukulele requires 5 chords and 6 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.

Big River uses these transitions most often: C7 → F (12), Bb → F (7), and F → C7 (7). 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 F - Bb chord transition.

1. F → Bb chord transition

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

To move from F to Bb;

  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. Place ring finger on G string fret 3.
F to Bb

2. F → C7 chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele C7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-1Ukulele C7 chord diagram

To move from F to C7;

  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 A string fret 1.
F to C7

3. F → G chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram

To move from F 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. Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
F to G

4. G → C7 chord transition

Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
Ukulele C7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-1Ukulele C7 chord diagram

To move from G to C7;

  1. While playing G, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 1.
G to C7

5. F → F7 chord transition

To move from F to F7;

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on C string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on A string fret 3.

6. F7 → Bb chord transition

To move from F7 to Bb;

  1. While playing F7, lift your pinky from A string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger from C string fret 3 to G string fret 3.

Big River chord transition analysis

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

  • Big River includes 46 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Big River contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Big River connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → G: 21%
    • F → Bb: 5%
    After C7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are F (62%), C (4%), and Gm (4%).
    • C7 → F: 62%
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.