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)
Shawn Mendes - Why Why Why - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, D/F#, C, Em, D Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Em D/F# G
Opened up my journal to a page
G D/F# C
Everything that hurts me's still the same
C D/F# Em
Feels like there's nothing new for me to say
Em D/F# G G D/F# C
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why
Em D/F# G
Sweatin' through the sheets, shakin' in bed
G D/F# C
Visions of her naked in my head
C D/F# Em
But I went off and chose myself instead
Em D/F# G G D/F# C
Why? Why? Why? Ease my mind
C G D Em
I don't know why, I
C G
I don't know, I don't know why
D
Why? Why? Why
Em D/F# G
I stepped off the stage with nothing left
G D/F# C
All the lights were fuckin' with my head
C D/F# Em
But here I am, singin' songs again
Em D/F# G G D/F# C
Why? Why? Why? Ease my mind
C G D Em
I don't know why, I
C G
I don't know, I don't know why
D D
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why
C G D/F#
Feels like everything goes round and round
D C
And round and round and round it goes
G D/F#
Feels like everything goes round and round
D
And round and round and round it
Em D/F# G
Thought I was about to be a father
G D/F# C
Shook me to the core, I'm still a kid
C D/F# Em
Sometimes I still cry out for my mother
Em D/F# G G D/F# C
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why
Em D/F# G D Em
I don't know why, I
C G
I don't know , i don't know why
D D
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why
Em G D
Feels like everything goes round and round
Em C
And round and round and round it goes
G D
Feels like everything goes round and round
D
And round and round and round it goes
End of song Play again?
Shawn Mendes - Why Why Why Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Shawn Mendes – Why Why Why: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em and ends on D. 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: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between G major and E minor because it opens on Em and G is heard 26 times against 18 for Em. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
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 | 26× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| 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 | 20× |
| V | D/F# | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 23× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 13× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 18× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 18× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 26× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| 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 | 20× |
| VII | D/F# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 23× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 13× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 5 different chords appear 100 times in total; 5 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
- D/F# G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×9
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×8
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×7
- D/F# Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×4
- C D/F# GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×4
- C Em GIV → vi EmVI → iVI → i ×2
The move to watch is D/F# → G, heard 9 times. From the G side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Em side it is VII → 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 D/F#, land on D, F#, A — 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.
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 Em, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is G, D/F#, C, Em — I–V–IV–vi from the G side, III–VII–VI–i from the Em side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on D/F# → G (V → I in G, VII → III in Em): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on D, 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.
Shawn Mendes - Why Why Why 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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