Major view
A major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = D (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Noah Kahan - Stick Season - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords E, A, F#m, D Easy key G (capo 2)
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Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
A
As you promised me that I was more than all the miles combined
E
You must have had yourself a change of heart like halfway through the drive
F#m
'Cause your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign
D
Kept on driving straight and left our future to the right
A
Now I am stuck between my anger and the blame that I can't face
E
And memories are something even smoking weed does not replace
F#m
And I am terrified of weather 'cause I see you when it rains
D
Doc told me to travel but there's COVID on the planes
A
And I love Vermont but it's the season of the sticks and I
E
Saw your mom she forgot that I existed
F#m
And It's half my fault but I just like to play the victim
D
I'll drink alcohol 'till my friends come home for Christmas
A
And I'll dream each night of some version of you
E
That I might not have but I did not lose
F#m
Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes
D E A
And I'm split in half but that'll have to do ooh ooh
A
So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad
E
That I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from dad
F#m
No I am no longer funny 'cause I miss the way you laugh
D
Once called me forever now you still can't call me back
A
And I love Vermont but it's the season of the sticks and I
E
Saw your mom she forgot that I existed
F#m
And It's half my fault but I just like to play the victim
D
I'll drink alcohol 'till my friends come home for Christmas
A
And I'll dream each night of some version of you
E
That I might not have but I did not lose
F#m
Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes
D E A
And I'm split in half but that'll have to do ooh ooh
A E
Oh, that'll have to do
F#m
My other half was you
D
I hope this pain's just passing through
E
But I doubt it
End of song Play again?
Noah Kahan - Stick Season Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Noah Kahan – Stick Season: key and chord analysis
The song opens on A and ends on E. Its chords belong to both A major and F#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = D (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = E (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A major side because it opens on A and A is heard 10 times against 8 for F#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from F# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to A or to F#m; 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 | A | Tonic — home | A · C# · E | 10× |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| V/vi | C# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to F#msecondary dominant | C# · E# · G# | — |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | 8× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | 11× |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | 8× |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | 8× |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | 10× |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| v | C#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | C# · E · G# | — |
| V | C# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C# · E# · G# | — |
| VI | D | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A | 8× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | 11× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 4 different chords appear 37 times in total; 4 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
- E F#m AV → videceptive cadence F#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×8
- D A AIV → Iplagal cadence F#mVI → III ×5
- D E AIV → VIV → V F#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
- E A AV → Iauthentic cadence F#mVII → III ×2
The move to watch is E → F#m, heard 8 times. From the A side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected A, lands on F#m); from the F#m 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
- A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (A – B – C# – E – F#): start from A for a brighter phrase, from F# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F#m, land on F#, A, C# — 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 A major shapes
- No capo — open A shapes
- Capo 2 + G shapes
- Capo 5 + E shapes
With F# minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Em shapes
- Capo 4 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on A, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are E, A, F#m, D; read them as V–I–vi–IV in A or VII–III–i–VI in F#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on E → F#m (V → vi in A, VII → i in F#m): deceptive cadence — expected A, lands on F#m. It closes on E, letting the A 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.
Noah Kahan - Stick Season 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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