Skip to song content
Ukulelearn homepage
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.

James Taylor - Secret O’ Life Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, G7, F, Em, A, Dm, G, Cmaj7, C7, Em7, A7, Gm
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 G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram
  • Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
  • Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele Cmaj7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-2Ukulele Cmaj7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele C7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-1Ukulele C7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-2Ukulele Em7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele Gm chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-1Ukulele Gm chord diagram

[Opening]
[C] [G7]
[C]The secret of life is [G7]enjoying the passage of [C]time [G7]
[C]Any fool can [G7]do it [G7], [C]there ain’t nothing to it [G7]
[F]Nobody knows how we [Em]got to the top of the [A]hill [A]
But [Dm]since we’re on our way [G7]down
We [Dm]might as well enjoy the [G]ride

[section 2]
The [C]secret of love is in [G7]opening up your [C]heart [G7]
[C]It’s okay to feel a[G7]fraid [G7]
But [C]don’t let that stand in your way [G7]
‘Cause [F]everyone knows that [Em]love is the only [A]road [A] [A]
And [Dm]since we’re only here for a [G7]while
We [Dm]might as well show some [G]style

[section 3]
[Cmaj7]Give us a smile [G7] [G7]
[C7]Isn’t it a [F]lovely ride, [Em]sliding [Em7]down and [A]gliding [A7]down
[Dm]Try not to try too [G7]hard, it’s just a lovely [C]ride [G7]

[section 4]
[C]Now the thing about time is that [G7]time isn’t really [C]real [G7]
[C]It’s just your point of [C]view, [C]how does it feel for you [G7]
[F]Einstein said he could [Em]never understand it [A]all [A]
[Dm]Planets spinning through [G7]space
The [Dm]smile upon your [G]face

[section 5]
[Cmaj7]Welcome to the human [G7]race [G7] [C7]
Some kind of [F]lovely ride,
I’ll be [Em]sliding [Em7]down, I’ll be [A]gliding [A7]down
[Dm]Try not to try too [G7]hard, it’s just a lovely [C]ride [Gm]

[Closing]
[C7]Isn’t it a [F]lovely ride,
I’ll be [Em]sliding [Em7]down, see me [A]gliding [A]down
[Dm]Try not to try too hard, [G7]it’s just a lovely [C]ride [G7]
Now, the [C]secret of life is [G7]enjoying the passage of [C]time

[outro]
[G7] [C7]

Report Error
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.
ArtistJames Taylor
AlbumJT
GenresFolk
Year1977
KeyC

How to play Secret O' Life on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

James Taylor - Secret O' Life on ukulele requires 12 chords and 18 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.

Secret O' Life uses these transitions most often: C → G7 (16), G7 → C (15), and Dm → G7 (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 - G7 chord transition.

1. C → G7 chord transition

Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram

To move from C to G7;

  1. Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
C to G7

2. G7 → F chord transition

Ukulele G7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-1-2Ukulele G7 chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram

To move from G7 to F;

  1. While playing G7, lift your ring finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
G7 to F

3. F → Em chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram

To move from F to Em;

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

4. Em → A chord transition

Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram
Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram

To move from Em to A;

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

5. A → Dm chord transition

To move from A to Dm;

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

6. Dm → G7 chord transition

To move from Dm 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. Slide your ring finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.

7. Dm → G chord transition

To move from Dm 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. Lift your ring finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.

8. G → C chord transition

To move from G to C;

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

9. G → Cmaj7 chord transition

To move from G to Cmaj7;

  1. While playing G, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
  2. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.

10. Cmaj7 → G7 chord transition

To move from Cmaj7 to G7;

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

11. G7 → C7 chord transition

To move from G7 to C7;

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

12. C7 → F chord transition

To move from C7 to F;

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

13. Em → Em7 chord transition

To move from Em to Em7;

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

14. Em7 → A chord transition

To move from Em7 to A;

  1. Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.

15. A → A7 chord transition

To move from A to A7;

  1. While playing A, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on C string fret 1.

16. A7 → Dm chord transition

To move from A7 to Dm;

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

17. C → Gm chord transition

To move from C to Gm;

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

18. Gm → C7 chord transition

To move from Gm to C7;

  1. While playing Gm, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  2. Keep index finger on A string fret 1.

Secret O' Life chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Secret O' Life.

  • Secret O' Life includes 82 chord transitions, 18 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Secret O' Life contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Secret O' Life connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
    • G7 → C: 69%
    • G7 → C7: 5%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G7: 2%
    • C → Gm: 1%
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.