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)
Don McLean - American Pie - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, C, Em, D, Am, D/F#, D7, A7 … Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G D/F# Em
A long, long time ago
Am C Em D
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
G D/F# Em
And I knew if I had my chance
Am C Em C D
That I could make those people dance and maybe they'd be happy for a while
Em Am Em Am
But February made me shiver, with every paper I'd deliver
C G/B Am C D
Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step
G D/F# Em Am7 D
I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
G D/F# Em
Something touched me deep inside
C D G
The day the music died
G C G D
So bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
G Am
Did you write the book of love
C Am Em D
And do you have faith in god above, if the bible tells you so?
G D/F# Em
Do you believe in rock and roll
Am7 C Em A7 D
Can music save your mortal soul and can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Em D Em D
Well I know that you're in love with him 'cuz I saw you dancin' in the gym
C G/B A7 C D7
You both kicked off your shoes, man I dig those rhythm and blues
G D/F# Em Am C
I was a lonely teenage bronckin' buck with a pink carnation and a pickup truck
G D/F# Em C D7 G C G D
But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died, I started singin'
G C G D
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
G Am
Now for ten years we've been on our own
C Am Em D
and moss grows fat on a rolling stone but that's not how it used to be
G D/F# Em
When the jester sang for the king and queen
Am7 C Em A7 D
in a coat he borrowed from James Dean in a voice that came from you and me
Em D Em D
Oh, and while the king was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown
C Am C D7
The courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned
G D/F# Em Am C
And while Lennon read a book on Marx, the quartet practiced in the park
G D/F# Em C D7 G C G D
And we sang dirges in the dark the day the music died, we were singin'
G C G D
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
G Am
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
C Am Em D
the birds flew off with a fallout shelter, eight miles high and fallin' fast
G D/F# Em
It landed foul on the grass
Am7 C Em A7 D
the players tried for a forward pass, with the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Em D Em D
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume, while sergeants played a marching tune
C Am C D7
We all got up to dance, but we never got the chance
G D/F# Em Am C
'Cuz the players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield
G D/F# Em C D7 G C G D
Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died, we started singin'
G C G D
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
G Am
And there we were all in one place
C Am Em D
a generation lost in space, with no time left to start again
G D/F# Em Am C
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candle
Em A7 D
stick, 'cuz fire is the devil's only friend
Em D Em D
And as I watched him on the stage, my hands were clenched in fists of rage
C Am C D7
No angel born in Hell could break that Satan's spell
G D/F# Em Am C
And as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite
G D/F# Em C D7 G C G D
I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died, he was singin'
G C G D
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
G D/F# Em
I met a girl who sang the blues
Am C Em D
And I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away
G D/F# Em
I went down to the sacred store
Am C Em C D
Where I'd heard the music years before, but the man there said the music wouldn't play
Em Am Em Am
But in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried and the poets dreamed
C Am C D
But not a word was spoken, the church bells all were broken
G D/F# Em Am C D7
And the three men I admire most, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
G D/F# Em C D7 G
They caught the last train for the coast the day the music died,
And they were singin'
G C G D
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
G C G D
They were singin' bye, bye Miss American Pie
G C G D
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
C D7 G C G
Singin' this will be the day that I die
End of song Play again?
Don McLean - American Pie Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Don McLean – American Pie: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on G. 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 both starts and finishes on G and G is heard 80 times against 56 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 | 78× |
| I | G/B | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 2× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 27× |
| ii7 | Am7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E · G | 4× |
| V7/V | A7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Dsecondary dominant | A · C# · E · G | 11× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 64× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 49× |
| V | D/F# | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 20× |
| V7 | D7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A · C | 17× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 56× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 56× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 78× |
| III | G/B | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 2× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 27× |
| iv7 | Am7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E · G | 4× |
| IV7 | A7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | A · C# · E · G | 11× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 64× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 49× |
| VII | D/F# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 20× |
| VII7 | D7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A · C | 17× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 10 different chords appear 328 times in total; 9 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. A7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×30
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×28
- D/F# Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×20
- D7 G GV7 → Iauthentic cadence EmVII7 → III ×17
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×16
- C D7 GIV → V7IV → V EmVI → VII7VI → VII ×11
The move to watch is C → G, heard 30 times. From the G side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Em side it is VI → III. 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 G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Em, land on E, G, B — 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
Starting on G, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. G, C, Em, D carry the song: I–IV–vi–V relative to G, III–VI–i–VII relative to Em. A7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to D. Keep an ear on C → G (IV → I in G, VI → III in Em): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. It closes on G, 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.
Don McLean - American Pie 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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