Major view
Db major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Gb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords Ab, Db, B, Gb, E, Bbm Easy key A (capo 4)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
B Ab B Ab B Ab Gb E Db Db Left a good job in the city Working for The Man every night and day And I never lost one minute of sleeping Worrying 'bout the way things might have been Ab Big wheel keep on turning Bbm Proud Mary keep on burning Db Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river Db Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis Pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans But I never saw the good side of the city Until I hitched a ride on a river boat queen Ab Big wheel keep on turning Bbm Proud Mary keep on burning Db Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river B Ab B Ab B Ab Gb E Db Db Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river B Ab B Ab B Ab Gb E Db Db If you come down to the river Bet you gonna find some people who live You don't have to worry 'cause you have no money People on the river are happy to give Ab Big wheel keep on turning Bbm Proud Mary keep on burning Db Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river
End of song Play again?
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary: key and chord analysis
The song opens on B and ends on Db. Its chords belong to both Db major and Bbm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Bb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Gb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Ab (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Db major side because it comes to rest on Db and Db is heard 10 times against 3 for Bbm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from Bb minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Db or to Bbm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Db | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab | 10× |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| bIII | E | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | E · G# · B | 3× |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | — |
| V/vi | F | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bbmsecondary dominant | F · A · C | — |
| IV | Gb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · Bb · Db | 3× |
| V | Ab | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb | 12× |
| vi | Bbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Bb · Db · F | 3× |
| bVII | B | bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord | B · D# · F# | 9× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Tonic — home | Bb · Db · F | 3× |
| bII | B | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | B · D# · F# | 9× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | Db | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab | 10× |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| #IV | E | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | E · G# · B | 3× |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | — |
| V | F | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C | — |
| VI | Gb | Submediant — warm colour | Gb · Bb · Db | 3× |
| VII | Ab | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb | 12× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 6 different chords appear 40 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. B, E are borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- Ab Bbm DbV → videceptive cadence BbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3
The move to watch is Ab → Bbm, heard 3 times. From the Db side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected Db, lands on Bbm); from the Bbm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Db major pentatonic and Bb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Db – Eb – F – Ab – Bb): start from Db for a brighter phrase, from Bb for a bluesier one.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Db, land on Db, F, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On B, follow the chord's notes (B · D# · F#) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With Db major shapes
- Capo 1 + C shapes
- Capo 4 + A shapes
- Capo 6 + G shapes
With Bb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Am shapes
- Capo 6 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
- 1 semitone up
The song's harmonic story
The opening B lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is Ab, Db, B, Gb — V–I–bVII–IV from the Db side, VII–III–bII–VI from the Bbm side. B briefly darkens the picture: bvii — borrowed (mixolydian / parallel minor). Keep an ear on Ab → Bbm (V → vi in Db, VII → i in Bbm): deceptive cadence — expected Db, lands on Bbm. Ending on Db, the song seals Db as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
Find something to play next
Ready-made lists by difficulty and mood.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.