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Eric Clapton - Promises Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, C, D, A#, Bm, Am
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

[Opening]
[G]I don’t care if you never come home,
[C]I don’t mind if you just keep on [G]rolling away on a distant sea,
Cause I [D]don’t love you and you don’t [A#]love [G]me

[verse 2]
[G]You cause a commotion when you come to town,
[C]you give ’em a smile and they melt
Having [G]lovers and friends is all good and fine,
but I [D]don’t like yours and you don’t [A#]like [G]mine.

[chorus]
La [C]la [Bm]la la la la [D]la la [C]la la, [Bm]la la [D]la [A#] [G]

[verse 3]
[G]I do’t care what you do at night.
Oh, and [C]I don’t care how you get your delights.
I’m gonna [G]leave you alone, I’ll just let it be,
and I [D]don’t love you and you don’t [A#]love [G]me.

[chorus]
[C]I’ve got a problem, [G]can you re‐late.
[Am]I’ve got a woman [G] calling love hate.
[C]We made a vow, [G]we’d always be friends.
[Am]How could we know that promises [G]end

[chorus]
La [C]la [Bm]la la la la [D]la la [C]la la, [Bm]la la [D]la [A#] [G]

[Closing]
[G]I tried to love you for years upon years,
[C]you refused to take me for real
[G]It’s time you saw what I want you to see,
And I’d [D]still love you if you just [A#]love [G]me.

[chorus]
[C]I’ve got a problem, [G]can you relate.
[Am]I’ve got a woman calling love [G]hate.
[C]We made a vow, [G]we’d always be friends.
[Am]How could we know that promises [G]end

[chorus]
La [C]la [Bm]la la la la [D]la la [C]la la, [Bm]la la [D]la [A#] [G]

SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistEric Clapton
AlbumBackless
GenresBlues, Rock, Classic Rock, Blues Rock
Year1978
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Promises on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Eric Clapton - Promises on guitar requires 6 chords and 8 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.

Promises uses these transitions most often: G → C (11), C → G (8), and A# → G (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 G - C chord transition.

1. G → C chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from G to C;

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

2. G → D chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from G to D;

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

3. D → A# chord transition

Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from D to A#;

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

4. A# → G chord transition

Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from A# to G;

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

5. C → Bm chord transition

To move from C to Bm;

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

6. Bm → D chord transition

To move from Bm to D;

  1. While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on B string fret 3.

7. D → C chord transition

To move from D to C;

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

8. G → Am chord transition

To move from G to Am;

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

Promises chord transition analysis

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

  • Promises includes 60 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Promises contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Promises connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → D: 24%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → Bm: 1%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.