Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Lorde - Tennis Court - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords G, Am, F, C Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
G Am F
Don't you think that it's boring how people talk
G Am F
Making smart with their words again, well I'm bored
G
Because I'm doing this for the thrill of it, killin' it
Am F
Never not chasing a million things I want
G
And I am only as young as the minute is full of it
Am F
Getting pumped up from the little bright things I bought
But I know they'll never own me (Yeah)
G
Baby be the class clown
C Am
I'll be the beauty queen in tears
G
It's a new art form showing people how little we care (yeah)
F C G
We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fear
Am
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah)
G Am F
Pretty soon I'll be getting on my first plane
G Am F
I'll see the veins of my city like they do in space
G
But my head's filling up with the wicked games, up in flames
Am F
How can I f... with the fun again, when I'm known
G
And my boys trip me up with their heads again, loving them
Am F
Everything's cool when we're all in line, for the throne
But I know it's not forever (Yeah)
G
Baby be the class clown
C Am
I'll be the beauty queen in tears
G
It's a new art form showing people how little we care (yeah)
F C G
We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fear
Am
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah)
Am
It looked alright in the pictures (yeah)
Am F
Getting caught soft with the triple is it
Am
I fall apart, with all my heart
F
And you can watch from your window
F
And you can watch from your window
G
Baby be the class clown
C Am
I'll be the beauty queen in tears
G
It's a new art form showing people how little we care (yeah)
F F G
We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fear
Am
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah)
G
And talk it up like yeah (yeah)
F
And talk it up like yeah (yeah)
Am
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah)
G
And talk it up like yeah (yeah)
F
And talk it up like yeah (yeah)
Am
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (Yeah)
End of song Play again?
Lorde - Tennis Court Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Lorde – Tennis Court : key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on Am. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it comes to rest on Am and Am is heard 19 times against 5 for C. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; 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 | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 5× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 17× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 19× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 19× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 19× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 5× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 17× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 19× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 4 different chords appear 60 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
- G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×11
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×10
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×3
- F Am CIV → vi AmVI → iVI → i ×3
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×2
The move to watch is G → Am, heard 11 times. From the Am side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the C side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected C, lands on Am). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F, 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is G; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is G, Am, F, C — V–vi–IV–I from the C side, VII–i–VI–III from the Am side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on G → Am (V → vi in C, VII → i in Am): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. Ending on Am, the song seals Am 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.
Lorde - Tennis Court 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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