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Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel Ukulele Chords

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ChordsC, G, F, Em7, Am, G7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-2Ukulele Em7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele Am chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-0-0Ukulele Am chord diagram
  • Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram

[Opening]
I re[C]member you [G]well in the [F]Chelsea Hotel [C]
You were talking so [Em7]brave and so [Am]sweet
[C]Giving me [G]head on the [F]unmade [C]bed
While the [F]limousines wait in the [G7]street

[section 2]
[Am]Those were the reasons and [F]that was New York
We were [C]running for the [Em7]money and the [Am]flesh
And [F]that was called love for the [C]workers in song
Probably [F]still is for those of them [G7]left

[chorus]
Ah but [F]you got away, [C]didn’t you babe
You [C]just turned your [Em7]back on the [Am]crowd
[F]You got away, I never once [C]heard you say
I [F]need you, I don’t [C]need you
I [F]need you, I don’t [C]need you
And [F]all of that jiving a[Am]round [G7]

[section 3]
I re[C]member you [G]well in the [F]Chelsea Hotel [C]
You were famous, your [Em7]heart was a [Am]legend
You [C]told me a[G]gain you [F]preferred handsome [C]men
But for [F]me you would make an ex[G7]ception

[Closing]
And [Am]clenching your fist for the [F]ones like us
Who are o[C]pressed by the [Em7]figures of [Am]beauty
[F]You fixed yourself, you said, [C]”Well never mind
We are [F]ugly but we have the [G7]music.”

[chorus]
And then [F]you got away, [C]didn’t you babe
You [C]just turned your [Em7]back on the [Am]crowd
[F]You got away, I never once [C]heard you say
I [F]need you, I don’t [C]need you
I [F]need you, I don’t [C]need you
And [F]all of that jiving a[Am]round [G7]

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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.
ArtistLeonard Cohen
AlbumNew Skin for the Old Ceremony
GenresPop
Year1974
KeyC

How to play Chelsea Hotel on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel 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.

Chelsea Hotel uses these transitions most often: F → C (16), C → F (10), and Am → F (6). 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 - G chord transition.

1. C → G chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram

To move from C to G;

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

2. G → F chord transition

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

To move from G to F;

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

3. F → C chord transition

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

To move from F to C;

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

4. C → Em7 chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-2Ukulele Em7 chord diagram

To move from C to Em7;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on C string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.
C to Em7

5. Em7 → Am chord transition

To move from Em7 to Am;

  1. While playing Em7, lift your index finger from C string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.

6. Am → C chord transition

To move from Am to C;

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

7. F → G7 chord transition

To move from F to G7;

  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 A string fret 2.

8. G7 → Am chord transition

To move from G7 to Am;

  1. While playing G7, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.

9. Am → F chord transition

To move from Am to F;

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

10. G7 → C chord transition

To move from G7 to C;

  1. While playing G7, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 3.

Chelsea Hotel chord transition analysis

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

  • Chelsea Hotel includes 67 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Chelsea Hotel contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Chelsea Hotel 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 → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → Am: 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.