Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords C, G, D, Bm, D7, Em Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G C
We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out
D C G
Because I love you too much, baby
C
Why can't you see, what you're doing to me
D C D C Bm D7
When you don't believe a word I say
C G Bm C D
We can't go on together, with Suspicious Minds
Em Bm C D D7
And we can't build our dreams, on Suspicious Minds
G C
So, if an old friend I know, drops by to say hello
D C G
Would I still see suspicion in your eyes
G C
Here we go again, asking where I've been
D C D C Bm D7
You can see these tears are real I'm crying
C G Bm C D
We can't go on together, with Suspicious Minds
Em Bm C D D7
And we can't build our dreams, on Suspicious Minds
Em Bm
Oh, let our love survive
C D
I'll dry the tears from your eyes
Em Bm C
Let's don't let a good thing die, when honey
D G C G D7
You know I've never, lied to you, mmm, yeah, yeah
G C
We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out
D C G
Because I love you too much, baby
C
Why can't you see, what you're doing to me
D C G
When you don't believe a word I say
Don't you know
G C
I'm caught in a trap, I can't walk out
D C G C G C
Because I love you too much, baby
End of song Play again?
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Elvis Presley – Suspicious Minds: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on C. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because it opens on G and G is heard 15 times against 4 for Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; 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 | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 15× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | 8× |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 27× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 15× |
| V7 | D7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A · C | 5× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 4× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 4× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 15× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | 8× |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 27× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 15× |
| VII7 | D7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A · C | 5× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 6 different chords appear 74 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×15
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×9
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3
- D7 G GV7 → Iauthentic cadence EmVII7 → III ×2
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×1
- D7 Em GV7 → videceptive cadence EmVII7 → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is C → D, heard 15 times. From the G side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the Em side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is G; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is C, G, D, Bm — IV–I–V–iii from the G side, VI–III–VII–v from the Em side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on C → D (IV → V in G, VI → VII in Em): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. It closes on C, letting the G side have the last word.
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.
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds 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.
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