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)
Ariana Grande - True Story - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords Am, Dm, E7, F Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am F
This is a true story about all the lies
Dm E7
You fantasized 'bout you and i
Am F
This is a true story about all the games
Dm
I know you play
E7 Am F
No, this is not what I need
Dm
Not what I want
E7 Am F
Ain't gonna happen to me
Dm E7
Lo love, give me love, give me love, love
Am
Love, love, lo lovе
Dm
I'll play the villain if you need me to
E7
I know how this goes, yеah
Am Dm
I'll be the one you pay to see, play the scene
E7
Roll the cameras please
Am
Turnin' like a dime
Wastin' all their time
Dm E7
Sneakin' like a creep in the night
Am Dm
But I'll play whatever part you need me to
Mm
Am F
This is a true story about all the lies
Dm
You fantasized
E7
'Bout you and I
Am F
This is a true story about all the games
Dm
I know you play
E7 Am F
No, this is not what I need
Dm
Not what I want
E7 Am F
Ain't gonna happen to me
Dm E7
Lo love, give me love, give me love, love
Am
Love, love, lo lovе
Dm
I'll play the bad girl if you need me to
If it makes you feel better
Am Dm
I'll be the one you love to hate, can't relate
E7
Too much on my plate
Am
See it in your eyes
You got too much time
Dm E7
For fun, you like to pray for my demise, mm
Am Dm
But I'll play whatever part you need me to
And I'll be good in it too
Am F
This is a true story about all the lies
Dm
You fantasized
E7
'Bout you and I
Am F
This is a true story about all the games
Dm
I know you play
E7 Am F
No, this is not what I need
Dm
Not what I want
E7 Am F
Ain't gonna happen to me
Dm
Ooh
E7
Give me love, give me love
Am F
Not what I want
Dm
And not what I need
E7 Am F
Ain't gonna happen to me
Dm E7
Give me love, give me love, give me love
End of song Play again?
Ariana Grande - True Story Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Ariana Grande – True Story: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on E7. 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)
- #7 = G# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it opens on Am, Am is heard 22 times while C never appears and the major V chord points straight at Am. 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 | — |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 22× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V7/vi | E7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 19× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 14× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | — |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 22× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 22× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | — |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 22× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V7 | E7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B · D | 19× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 14× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | — |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 4 different chords appear 77 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am.
Chord movement
- Dm E7 Cii → V7/vi Amiv → V7iv → V ×19
- E7 Am CV7/vi → visecondary resolution AmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×18
- Dm Am Cii → vi Amiv → iminor plagal ×3
The move to watch is Dm → E7, heard 19 times. From the Am side it is iv → V7 (iv → V: the minor side's tension builder); from the C side it reads ii → V7/vi. 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 Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dm, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E7, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When E7 comes, swap the scale's G for G#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
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 opening Am lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Am, Dm, E7, F; read them as vi–ii–V7/vi–IV in C or i–iv–V7–VI in Am. E7 is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Dm → E7 (ii → V7/vi in C, iv → V7 in Am): iv → V — the minor side's tension builder. The final chord is E7; the ear comes to rest in C.
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.
Ariana Grande - True Story 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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