D, A, Bm and G are the I, V, vi and IV chords of D major, the same pattern that C, G, Am and F make in the key of C. Wikipedia calls it the Axis progression, after the Australian comedy band The Axis of Awesome, whose 2008 medley Four Chords was originally written in D major on exactly these four chords. The joke of that medley was how many hit songs share one pattern, and the 35 songs below show it from the guitar side.
Bm is the hard one. The usual shape is a barre chord at the 2nd fret, and flattening one finger across five strings takes a while to get clean. You don’t have to wait for it, though: PlayGuitar.com teaches a three string and a four string Bm with no barre at all, and the four string one is in the chart below, so you can play these songs while the full barre comes along. If Bm still slows you down, start with Son of a Sinner, The Steps or Teach Your Children, where it barely shows up.
Every song here uses only those four chords, with the chord order, the capo, a video and a chord sheet for each. I checked each one on Ultimate Guitar (UG) and a second chord site in October 2026. The 26 songs you can play with no capo come first, then 9 capo songs, roughly from the 1st fret up to the 4th.
Want a guided path from your first chords to your first solo? My book, From First Chord to First Solo, adds a chord or two in each chapter, each with a real song to play, all the way to your first solo.
The Four Chords, Plus An Easier Bm
The chart shows D, A and G in their open shapes, the full Bm barre at the 2nd fret, and the four string Bm. For that last one your fingers go on the D string at the 4th fret, the G string at the 4th fret, the B string at the 3rd fret and the high E at the 2nd fret, and the low E and A strings stay silent.
PlayGuitar.com builds it in two steps. First the three string version: index finger on the 2nd fret of the high E, middle finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, ring finger on the 4th fret of the G string, and strum only those three strings, which already gives you B, D and F#. Then add your pinky on the 4th fret of the D string; the page points out that this note is F#, the same as the high E, so you’re doubling a note you already have, not adding a new one. Good Guitarist’s first tip for an easy Bm fits here too: “Curl your fingers as much as possible,” so each fingertip touches only its own string.
In this list, Dsus2, Dsus4, Asus2, Asus4, Bm7 and Gmaj7 count as the same chords as D, A, Bm and G. Four songs flick to Asus4 for a moment and Teach Your Children adds an Asus2, but none of them needs Em, F#m or any other new chord.
Shivers – Ed Sheeran
Shivers came out in 2021 on Ed Sheeran’s album = (Equals), and it reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It’s the right song to start with, because one loop runs from the first bar to the last.
That loop is Bm, G, D, A, one chord per bar, and the pre chorus and chorus use it too. There’s no capo; it sounds in D major. UG’s strum at 141 bpm is down, down up, then up down up three times.
Two Princes – Spin Doctors
Two Princes is from Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the Spin Doctors’ 1991 album. Sent to radio as a single in January 1993, it reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.
Verse, refrain and chorus all run D, Bm, A, G, and the only break is the short pre chorus, which sits on G, D and A. You won’t need a capo. UG’s main pattern at 104 bpm puts muted hits (marked x) between the downs and ups, so learn the loop with plain downstrokes first.
Best Part of Me – Ed Sheeran feat. Yebba
Ed Sheeran recorded Best Part of Me with Yebba for No.6 Collaborations Project in 2019. It reached No. 17 in Australia and No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The verses are the plain D, A, Bm, G loop. The chorus shuffles the same four chords into D, A, G, Bm, A, D, A, G, so your hand never meets a new shape. Play it open, in D major.
The Good Ones – Gabby Barrett
The Good Ones is from Gabby Barrett’s 2020 album Goldmine. It went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 and is certified 4x Platinum in the US.
It’s D, A, Bm, G from start to finish, in D major with no capo. In the chorus Bm and G share one bar, so that change comes twice as fast as in the verse. UG’s strum for the whole song, at a quick 182 bpm, is down, down, down, down up, down up, down, down, down up.
About You – The 1975
The 1975 put About You on their 2022 album Being Funny in a Foreign Language. It climbed to No. 29 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Verse and chorus both cycle D, A, Bm, G, with a quick A tacked onto the end of the G bar. UG asks for nothing more than eight downstrokes per bar at 96 bpm, which leaves all your attention for the changes. It’s in D major, no capo.
Wolves – Selena Gomez & Marshmello
Wolves was a 2017 single from Selena Gomez and Marshmello that never went on an album. It reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The verse goes Bm, D, G, A, two chords per bar, and the chorus runs G, A, Bm, A, G, A, Bm, D. With no capo it sits in B minor. UG has steady eighth notes, down up down up, for most of the song and switches to all downstrokes in the first two choruses.
Rescue Me – OneRepublic
OneRepublic released Rescue Me in 2019, and it’s on their album Human. It reached No. 14 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs chart.
The verse is Bm, then A and D sharing a bar, then G and A; the chorus drops that last A and loops Bm, A, D, G. The quick A to D change is the one to practice. It’s in B minor with no capo, and UG’s strum at 121 bpm is a sparse down, up, down, down, up, down with gaps between, so let the chords ring.
Belong Together – Mark Ambor
Belong Together is on Mark Ambor’s 2024 album Rockwood. It reached No. 6 in Ireland and No. 18 in Australia.
The verse goes Bm, D, G, D, A, and the chorus lays out all four chords in a row: Bm, G, D, A. Leave the capo off; it sounds in D major. UG’s chorus strum at 182 bpm splits into four groups of three, down, down, down up, down up, so count it in threes.
Society – Eddie Vedder
Jerry Hannan wrote Society, and Eddie Vedder recorded it for the Into the Wild soundtrack in 2007. That soundtrack debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
The verse walks D, A, D, then D, G, A, then G, A, Bm twice. The chorus is just G, D, A, Bm, a good place to practice landing on Bm. No capo, B minor, and UG’s folk strum at 162 bpm is down, down, down up down up, with an accent on the second down.
Young Volcanoes – Fall Out Boy
Young Volcanoes is from Fall Out Boy’s 2013 album Save Rock and Roll. It reached No. 38 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart.
The verse loops Bm, G, D, A, and the chorus drops A to rock between D, Bm and G. No capo; it sits in B minor. At 190 bpm it’s fast, so get the loop clean at half speed before you try UG’s sparse down, down, up, down, up pattern.
If you want the same four chord pattern in the key of C, check out my other post 70 Songs Using C, Am, F And G Chords, All Tabbed
Son of a Sinner – Jelly Roll
Son of a Sinner is from Jelly Roll’s 2021 album Ballads of the Broken. It went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and No. 31 on the Hot 100.
The verse (D, G, D, G, A) and the chorus (D, G, A, G, D, then D, G, A, G, D) use only D, G and A. Bm arrives in the bridge, as Bm, A, G, which makes this an easy first song to add it to. It’s in D major with no capo.
My Heart I Surrender – I Prevail
My Heart I Surrender first came out on I Prevail’s Heart vs. Mind EP in 2014. It’s also on the band’s album Lifelines (2016), and that album reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and went Gold in the US and Canada.
The verse uses only A, Bm and D (A, Bm, D, A, Bm, ending on D and A), and G arrives in the chorus, which runs Bm, G, D, A, one chord per bar. There’s no capo, and one UG version lists the key as B minor. The intro and verse strum UG gives at 133 bpm opens with the same down, down up, up down up as Shivers.
My Heart I Surrender Guitar Chords
The Steps – Haim
The Steps is on Haim’s 2020 album Women in Music Pt. III. It earned a nomination for Best Rock Performance at the 63rd Grammy Awards.
This one is built almost entirely on D, G and A: the verse rocks between D and G, and the chorus goes G, A, D, G, then G, A, D, G. Bm appears just once, next to an A in verse 2. Save it for when your Bm is still slow; it’s in D major with no capo.
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind – Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton first released Do I Ever Cross Your Mind in 1976, as a duet with Chet Atkins. Her 1982 solo version on Heartbreak Express came out paired with I Will Always Love You as a double A side, and that single reached No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart on October 16, 1982.
Long stretches sit on D, and the verse is D, G, D, D, A, D. Bm shows up at the top of each chorus, swapping with D (Bm, D, Bm, then D, G, D), which is a gentle way to practice it. You play it open, in D major.
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind Guitar Chords
Burning Love – Elvis Presley
Burning Love reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1972, and it was Elvis Presley’s 40th and final Top Ten hit on the Billboard charts. It’s on the album Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2.
The verses are a D, G, A, D rock and roll turnaround. In the chorus every line starts on Bm and steps down Bm, A, G, three times, before A takes you home to D. No capo, D major, and UG’s main pattern at 143 bpm is down up, down up, with an accent on every second down.
Time to Move On – Tom Petty
Tom Petty put Time to Move On on Wildflowers in 1994. That album went 3x Platinum in the US, according to the RIAA.
Most of the song is G to D and back: the verse goes G, D, G, D, G, D, then Bm, A, G. Bm and A come once per line, so they’re short stops, not long holds. It’s in D major, no capo.
You Had Me from Hello – Kenny Chesney
You Had Me from Hello is on Kenny Chesney’s 1999 album Everywhere We Go. It went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
The verse walks D, A, Bm, G twice, then A, D and Bm, G, A. The chorus (D, A, G, Bm, G, A) holds Bm for a full bar, so you get time to set it clean. There’s no capo, it sounds in D major, and the one Asus4 comes at the very end.
You Had Me from Hello Guitar Chords
Next to Me – Imagine Dragons
Next to Me, from Imagine Dragons’ Evolve, came out in 2018. It reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart.
The verse goes D, G, then Bm and A in one bar back to D. The chorus slows the changes down, with D and G sharing a bar and then Bm, A and D getting a bar each. It’s in D major with no capo, and UG’s verse and chorus strum at 169 bpm is down, down up down up, down, down up down up.
There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back – Shawn Mendes
There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back is on the 2017 deluxe edition of Shawn Mendes’ album Illuminate. It reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Every section is built on G, D, Bm, then D, A, so once one line is in your hands you have the whole song. Play it open, in D major. UG’s strum at 123 bpm is sparse, mostly one down and a couple of ups per bar.
There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back Guitar Chords
Girls / Girls / Boys – Panic! at the Disco
Girls / Girls / Boys is from Panic! at the Disco’s 2013 album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! It reached No. 31 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart.
This one is mostly Bm and G, which makes it good for drilling that change. The verse goes Bm, G, Bm, G, Bm, D, G, Bm, G, the chorus loops Bm, D, G, and A turns up only in the pre chorus. With no capo it’s in B minor, and UG’s strum at 145 bpm is down, down up, up down up.
Girls / Girls / Boys Guitar Chords
If you want to see which chords belong to each key, check out my other post Guitar Chord Family Charts For All 12 Keys
Shot in the Dark – John Mayer
Shot in the Dark came out as a single on July 16, 2021, from John Mayer’s album Sob Rock. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
The verse goes D, G, D, then G, Bm, A, G. The chorus climbs G, A, Bm three times before it resolves on G, A, D, so you’ll play the A to Bm change a lot. It’s in D major with no capo.
Shot in the Dark Guitar Chords
I Don’t Want to Watch the World End with Someone Else – Clinton Kane
Clinton Kane released this one as a single in 2020. Wikipedia’s discography for him lists it with no chart entries, so it’s here for the chords, not the charts.
At 77 bpm it’s slow, which helps. The verse is D, G, then Bm and A sharing a bar, and the chorus runs D, A, G, Bm, A, D, A, G, Bm, A, G. There’s no capo, it’s in D major, and UG’s strum is mostly muted hits.
I Don’t Want to Watch the World End with Someone Else Guitar Chords
Down Under – Men at Work
Down Under is on Men at Work’s 1981 album Business as Usual. It went to No. 1 in Australia in December 1981, in New Zealand in February 1982 and on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1983.
Five chords per line means quick changes: the verse goes Bm, A, Bm, G, A, and the chorus D, A, Bm, G, A. Both end on G and A. No capo is needed; the verse centers on Bm and the chorus on D, and UG marks most of the verse strums at 106 bpm as muted.
You Were Good to Me – Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler
You Were Good to Me is on Brent, the 2019 EP by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler. It’s certified Platinum by both the RIAA and Music Canada.
The verses sit on D and G only. The chorus walks down Bm, A, G, D, one chord per bar, with a flick to Asus4 on the D bar. There’s no capo, it’s in D major, and UG’s main pattern at 104 bpm is down, down up, up down, down up, then a long rest.
You Were Good to Me Guitar Chords
Even Though I’m Leaving – Luke Combs
Even Though I’m Leaving is from Luke Combs’ 2019 album What You See Is What You Get. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and No. 11 on the Hot 100.
The verse goes D, G, then D, Asus4, A a few times, and closes on Bm, A, G. The chorus packs G, Bm and A into one bar (D, then G, Bm, A, twice), so that’s the change to slow down for. It’s in D major with no capo at 78 bpm, and UG gives a separate strum for the verse and the chorus.
Even Though I’m Leaving Guitar Chords
Teach Your Children – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Teach Your Children is on Déjà Vu, the 1970 album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It reached No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Most of it is D and G, with the A bar dressed up as Asus4, A, Asus2, A. Bm only shows up in the bridge, which goes D, G, D, then Bm, G, A, D. No capo, D major, and UG’s strum at 155 bpm counts in threes, mostly a down and then a down up.
Teach Your Children Guitar Chords
That’s What You Get – Paramore
That’s What You Get is from Paramore’s 2007 album Riot!, and it went to radio as a single on March 25, 2008. It reached No. 66 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is certified Platinum in the US.
UG and Songsterr both put a capo on the 1st fret, so the D shapes sound in E flat major. The verse is G, A, Bm over and over. The chorus adds D: G, D, Bm, A, then G, D, A, then Bm, A, Bm, A, and G, D, A to finish.
That’s What You Get Guitar Chords
You’re Beautiful – Phil Wickham
This You’re Beautiful is Phil Wickham’s worship song, not the James Blunt one. It came out as a single in 2007 from his album Cannons, which debuted at No. 16 on Billboard’s Christian Albums chart, and iTunes lists the track as Messiah / You’re Beautiful.
One pattern carries the whole thing: D, G, Bm, A, D, G, then Bm, A, D. UG doesn’t mark the sections. With the capo on the 1st fret, where UG and Songsterr both put it, it sounds in E flat major.
You’re Beautiful Guitar Chords
Little Freak – Harry Styles
Harry Styles put Little Freak on his 2022 album Harry’s House. That album won Album of the Year at the 65th Grammy Awards.
The verse rocks D to Bm with a quick A in between (D, Bm, A, Bm, A), and the chorus brings in G: G, D, A, G, D, A, G, Bm, A, G. UG puts the capo on the 1st fret, which makes it E flat major. Another chord site shows the same shapes with no capo, so check both against the record.
Come Back… Be Here – Taylor Swift
Come Back… Be Here is track 18 on the deluxe edition of Taylor Swift’s 2012 album Red. Red was nominated for Album of the Year at the 56th Grammy Awards.
Here’s pure D, A, Bm, G: the verse goes D, A, then Bm and G in one bar, and the chorus D and A, then Bm, then G. UG, Songsterr and a third chord site all say capo 2, which turns the D shapes into E major. UG’s strum at 80 bpm, for everything but the bridge, is down, down, down up, down up, down, down, down up.
Come Back… Be Here Guitar Chords
If you want more four chord songs, check out my other post 50 Famous & Easy 4 Chord Guitar Songs – Tabs Included
I’ll Be Waiting – Cian Ducrot
Cian Ducrot released I’ll Be Waiting on November 10, 2022, and it’s on his album Victory. It reached No. 6 on the Irish Singles Chart and No. 14 in the UK.
The verse is just Bm, A, G round and round, and the chorus brings D in: Bm, D, G, A, D, A, Bm, D, A, D, A, then Bm, A, G. UG says capo 1, which puts it in E flat major. Another chord site shows the same four chords with no capo.
This Love – Taylor Swift
This Love is on 1989, Taylor Swift’s 2014 album. The original 2014 release reached No. 84 on the Canadian Hot 100.
The verse leans on G and D (G, D, G, D, Bm, D, G), and the chorus is the plain D, A, Bm, G loop, one chord per bar. With the capo on the 2nd fret, which two chord sites agree on, the D shapes sound in E major.
We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love) – Ariana Grande
We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love) is from Ariana Grande’s 2024 album Eternal Sunshine. It debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The chorus is only D and G, back and forth. Bm and A come in the verse (D, G, D, G, D, A, G, then Bm, A, G) and in the post chorus, Bm, A, G. Capo 3 makes the D shapes sound in F major.
We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love) Guitar Chords
Check Yes or No – George Strait
Check Yes or No comes from George Strait’s Strait Out of the Box (1995). It went to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and on Canada’s RPM Country chart.
The verses use just D, A and G, closing on G, A. Bm arrives in every chorus line: D, Bm, G, then A, twice, and G, A to end. With the capo on the 3rd fret it sounds in F major, and UG’s pattern for the intro and instrumental parts is down up, muted hit, down up, muted hit, up, then a pause.
American Nights – Zach Bryan
American Nights is track 5 on Zach Bryan’s 2024 album The Great American Bar Scene. Wikipedia says the album debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and jumped to No. 2 the following week.
The verses use Bm, D and G (Bm, D, G, D), and A only arrives in the chorus: Bm, A, G, D, A, Bm. Capo 4, the highest on this list, puts the D shapes in F sharp major. UG’s strum for the break and the later verses, at 137 bpm, is down, down up, up down up.
Conclusion
These 35 songs drill the same four shapes and the same handful of changes, Bm to G, A to Bm and D to A, in different orders and at different speeds. Once the four string Bm feels easy, try the full barre in the slower songs, like Even Though I’m Leaving or the Clinton Kane song, where you have time to set it.
If one change still trips you up, my post 17 Tips & 5 Exercises To Improve Your Guitar Chord Changing has exercises for exactly that. Keep at it every day, even when Bm buzzes.
Good luck and keep on rockin’!
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