Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords D9, A, G, Bm Easy key G (capo 7)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
I wanna follow where she goes
I think about her and she knows it
I wanna let her take control
'Cause every time
That she gets close, yeah
She pulls me in enough
To keep me guessing, mmm
Maybe I should stop
A
And start confessing Confessing, yeah
G D9
Oh, I've been shaking
Bm D9
I love it when you go crazy
A D9
You take all my inhibitions
A D9
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
G D9
You take me places
Bm D9
That tear up my reputation
A D9
Manipulate my decisions
A D9
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
D9
There's nothing holdin' me back
D9
There's nothing holdin' me back
She says that she's never afraid
Just picture everybody naked
She really doesn't like to wait
Not really into hesitation
G D9 Bm
Pulls me in enough
D9 A D9 A D9
To keep me guessing whoa
G D9 Bm
Maybe I should stop
D9 A D9 A
And start confessing confessing, yeah
G D9
Oh, I've been shaking
Bm D9
I love it when you go crazy
A D9
You take all my inhibitions
A D9
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
G D9
You take me places
Bm D9
That tear up my reputation
A D9
Manipulate my decisions
A D9
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
D9
There's nothing holdin' me back
G
'Cause if we lost our minds
D9 Bm D9
And we took it way too far
A
I know we'd be alright
D9 A
Know we would be alright
D9 G
If you are by my side
D9 Bm
And we stumbled in the dark
D9 A
I know we'd be alright
D9 A
I know we would be alright
G
'Cause if we lost our minds
D9 Bm D9
And we took it way too far
A
I know we'd be alright
D9 A
I know we would be alright
D9 G
If you are by my side
D9 Bm
And we stumbled in the dark
D9 A
I know we'd be alright
D9 A
We would be alright
G D9
Oh, I've been shaking
Bm D9
I love it when you go crazy
A D9
You take all my inhibitions
A D9
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
G D9
You take me places
Bm D9
That tear up my reputation
A D9
Manipulate my decisions
A D9
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
D9
There's nothing holdin' me back
G D9 Bm
I feel so free
D9 A D9
When you're with me, baby
A
Baby, there's nothing holdin' me back
End of song Play again?
Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Shawn Mendes – There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back: key and chord analysis
The song opens on A and ends on A. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the D major side because D is heard 52 times against 13 for Bm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from B minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to D or to Bm; 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V7/IV | D9 | Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Gsecondary dominant | D · F# · A · C · E | 52× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | — |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 13× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 27× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 13× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 13× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| V7/VI | D9 | Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Gsecondary dominant | D · F# · A · C · E | 52× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | — |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 13× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 27× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 4 different chords appear 105 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D9 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- A D9 DV → V7/IVauthentic cadence BmVII → V7/VI ×22
- G D9 DIV → V7/IVplagal cadence BmVI → V7/VI ×13
- D9 G DV7/IV → IVsecondary resolution BmV7/VI → VI ×9
The move to watch is A → D9, heard 22 times. From the D side it reads V → V7/IV (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bm side it is VII → V7/VI. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over D9, land on D, F#, A — 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 G, land on G, B, D — 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 D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening A lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are D9, A, G, Bm; read them as V7/IV–V–IV–vi in D or V7/VI–VII–VI–i in Bm. D9 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/IV — leads to G. Keep an ear on A → D9 (V → V7/IV in D, VII → V7/VI in Bm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on A, letting the D 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.
Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back 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.
Repertoires with this song
Similar songs, ready to play: pick a list.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.