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Danny Quinn - The Minstrel Boy Chords

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

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A,D,G keys to play this song with easier chords.

[Opening]
[F][C][G][C]
The [C]minstrel [F]boy to the [C]war [G]has [C]gone
In the [F]ranks of [C]death you will [G]find [C]him.
His [C]father’s [F]sword he has [C]gird[G]ed [C]on
And his [F]wild harp [C]slung be[G]hind [C]him.

[chorus]
[Am]“Land [G]of [F]song,” said the [G]warrior [C]bard,
“Though [F]all the [Am]world [F]be[G]tray [C]thee,
One [C]sword at [F]least thy [C]rights [G]shall [C]guard,
One [F]faithful [Am]heart shall [G]praise [C]thee.”

[interlude]
[F][C][G][C]

[verse 2]
The [C]minstrel [F]fell, but the [C]foe[G]man’s [C]chain
Could not [F]bring that [C]proud soul [G]un[C]der.
The [C]harp he [F]loved never [C]played [G]ag[C]ain,
For he [F]tore its [C]cords a[G]sun[C]der,

[verse 3]
[Am]And said, [G]“No [F]chain shall [G]sully [C]thee
Thou [F]soul of [Am]love [F]and [G]brav[C]ery.
Thy [C]songs were [F]made for the [C]pure [G]and [C]free.
They shall [F]never [Am]sound in [G]slave[C]ry

[interlude]
[F][C][G][C]

[Closing]
The [C]minstrel [F]boy to the [C]war [G]has [C]gone
In the [F]ranks of [C]death you will [G]find [C]him.
His [C]father’s [F]sword he has [C]gird[G]ed [C]on
And his [F]wild harp [C]slung be[G]hind [C]him.

[chorus]
[Am]“Land [G]of [F]song,” said the [G]warrior [C]bard,
“Though [F]all the [Am]world [F]be[G]tray [C]thee,
One [C]sword at [F]least thy [C]rights [G]shall [C]guard,
One [F]faithful [Am]heart shall [G]praise [C]thee.”

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.
ArtistDanny Quinn
AlbumDanny Quinn Live In Concert
GenresFolk
Year2006
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play The Minstrel Boy on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Danny Quinn - The Minstrel Boy on guitar requires 4 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.

The Minstrel Boy uses these transitions most often: G → C (27), C → F (23), and C → G (18). 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 - C chord transition.

1. F → C chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from F to C;

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

2. C → G chord transition

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

To move from C to G;

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

3. C → Am chord transition

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

To move from C to Am;

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

4. Am → G chord transition

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

To move from Am to G;

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

5. G → F chord transition

To move from G to F;

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

6. F → Am chord transition

To move from F to Am;

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

The Minstrel Boy chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Minstrel Boy.

  • The Minstrel Boy includes 113 chord transitions, 6 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • The Minstrel Boy contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how The Minstrel Boy connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → G: 21%
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.