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Taylor Swift - Illicit Affairs Ukulele Chords

ChordsA, F#m, D, E, C#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,F,D,G,A# keys to play this song with easier chords.

  • Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
  • Ukulele F#m | G♭m chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-2-0Ukulele F#m | G♭m chord diagram
  • Ukulele D chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-0Ukulele D chord diagram
  • 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


[A] [F#m] [D] [E]
[A]Make sure nobody sees you [F#m]leave, hood over your head, keep your eyes [D]down
Tell your friends you’re out for [C#m]a run, you’ll be [E]flushed when you return
[A]Take the road less [F#m]traveled by, tell yourself you can always [D]stop
What started in beautiful [C#m]rooms, ends with [E]meetings in parking lots


[C#m]And that’s the thing about [D]illicit affairs
And [E]clandestine meetings and [A]longing stares
It’s [C#m]born from just one [D]single glance
But it [E]dies and it dies and it dies, a [A]million little times


[A]Leave the perfume on the [F#m]shelf, that you picked out just for [D]him
So you leave no trace [C#m]behind, like you [E]don’t even exist
[A]Take the words for what they [F#m]are, a dwindling, mercurial [D]high
A drug that only [C#m]worked, the [E]first few hundred times


[C#m]And that’s the thing about [D]illicit affairs
And [E]clandestine meetings and [A]stolen stares
They [C#m]show their truth [D]one single time
But [E]they lie and they lie and they lie, a [A]million little times


And you wanna [A]scream, [A]don’t call me “kid,” don’t call me “baby”
[F#m]Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me
[D]You showed me colors you [C#m]know, I can’t see with [E]anyone else
[A]Don’t call me “kid,” don’t call me “baby”
[F#m]Look at this idiotic fool that you made me
[D]You taught me a secret [C#m]language I can’t speak with [E]anyone else
And you [F#m]know [A]damn [D]well
For you, I would [E]ruin myself, [A]a million little times

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Albumfolklore
Year2020
KeyA

How to play Illicit Affairs on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Taylor Swift - Illicit Affairs on ukulele requires 5 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.

Illicit Affairs uses these transitions most often: E → A (9), A → F#m (7), and F#m → D (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 A - F#m chord transition.

2. F#m → D chord transition

To move from F#m to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on E string fret 2.
F#m to D

3. D → E chord transition

To move from D to E;

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

4. E → A chord transition

To move from E to A;

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

5. D → C#m chord transition

To move from D to C#m;

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

6. C#m → E chord transition

To move from C#m to E;

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

7. A → C#m chord transition

To move from A to C#m;

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

8. E → F#m chord transition

To move from E to F#m;

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

9. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

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

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Illicit Affairs.

  • Illicit Affairs includes 52 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Illicit Affairs contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Illicit Affairs 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 → D: 29%
    • A → F#m: 6%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → E: 3%
    • D → C#m: 0%