Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Miley Cyrus - Never Be Me - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords E, Dbm, Gbm, B7, Amaj7, A, B, B/D# Easy key G
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
Dbm E
I know I do this every time
Dbm E
I walk the line, I play with fire
Dbm E
And I stop myself before the crime
Dbm E
I walk the line, yeah, I play with fire
A
I don't wanna push you way too much
B Dbm
I don't wanna lean that way too far
E
I don't wanna ever learn the hard way
Gbm B7
But if you're looking for stable, that'll be never be me
E Amaj7
If you're looking for faithful, that'll never be me
Gbm B7
If you're looking for someone to be all that you need
E
That'll never be me
Amaj7
Gbm
That'll never be me
B7
Dbm E
Dry your tears now, don't you cry
Dbm E
I'm by your side, at least for a while
Dbm E
I know I do this every time
Dbm E
I walk the line, yeah, I play with fire
A
I don't wanna push you way too much
B Dbm
I don't wanna lean that way too far
E A
I don't wanna ever learn the hard way, no
A B
I don't wanna keep you in the dark
Dbm B/D#
I don't wanna gamble with your heart
E
I don't wanna ever leave you lonely
Gbm B7
But if you're looking for stable, that'll be never be me
E Amaj7
If you're looking for faithful, that'll never be me
Gbm B7
If you're looking for someone to be all that you need
E
That'll never be me
Amaj7
Hard as I try
Gbm
That'll never be me
Gbm
I play with fire
Dbm
Can't get too close to the sun
E
Baby, you're the only one, oh, I
Amaj7 Amaj7
I'd never lie to you, baby, oh
B Dbm
You give me a reason to run from the fire
B/D#
'Cause baby, you're the only one
E
Oh, I swear I'd never lie
Gbm B7
If you're looking for stable, that'll be never be me
E Amaj7
But I hope that I'm able to be all that you need
Gbm B7
If you think that I'm someone to give up and leave
E Amaj7
That'll never be me, no
Gbm B7
If you think that I'm someone to give up and leave
E
That'll never be me
Amaj7
Hard as I try
Gbm
That'll never be me, no
B7
I play with fire
Dbm
That'll never be me
End of song Play again?
Miley Cyrus - Never Be Me Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Miley Cyrus – Never Be Me: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dbm and ends on Dbm. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C# minor side because it both starts and finishes on C#m and E is heard 20 times against 14 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from E 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 E or to C#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 | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 20× |
| ii | Gbm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Gb · A · Db | 11× |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | — |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IVmaj7 | Amaj7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E · G# | 9× |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 4× |
| V7 | B7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# · A | 9× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 4× |
| V | B/D# | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 2× |
| vi | Dbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Db · Fb · Ab | 14× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dbm | Tonic — home | Db · Fb · Ab | 14× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 20× |
| iv | Gbm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · A · Db | 11× |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | — |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VImaj7 | Amaj7 | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E · G# | 9× |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 4× |
| VII7 | B7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# · A | 9× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 4× |
| VII | B/D# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 2× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 8 different chords appear 73 times in total; 8 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
- Gbm B7 Eii → V7ii → V C#miv → VII7 ×9
- B7 E EV7 → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII7 → III ×7
- B Dbm EV → videceptive cadence C#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×4
- A B EIV → VIV → V C#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
- B/D# E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×2
- B7 Dbm EV7 → videceptive cadence C#mVII7 → iAeolian arrival ×2
The move to watch is Gbm → B7, heard 9 times. From the C#m side it is iv → VII7; from the E side it reads ii → V7 (ii → V: the classic preparation of the dominant). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dbm, land on Db, Fb, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gbm, land on Gb, A, Db — 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 E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 3 semitones up
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening Dbm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is E, Dbm, Gbm, B7 — I–vi–ii–V7 from the E side, III–i–iv–VII7 from the C#m side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Gbm → B7 (ii → V7 in E, iv → VII7 in C#m): ii → V — the classic preparation of the dominant. It closes on Dbm, letting the C#m 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.
Miley Cyrus - Never Be Me 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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