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)
Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords B/D#, Dbm, Emaj7, Amaj7, Dmaj7 Easy key F
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
Dbm B/D# Emaj7 Dbm
Dbm
Someone said they left together
B/D# Emaj7
I ran out the door to get her
B/D# Dbm
She was holding hands with Trevor
B/D# Emaj7
Not the greatest feeling ever
B/D# Dbm
I said pull yourself together
B/D# Emaj7
You should try your luck with heather
B/D# Dbm
Then I thought they slept together
B/D# Emaj7 B/D# Dbm B/D#
Oh, the less I know the better
Emaj7
The less I know the better
Emaj7 Dbm Dmaj7
Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side
Emaj7 Dbm Dmaj7
No surprise, when you're on his shoulder like every night
Emaj7 Dbm Dmaj7
Oh my love, can't you see that you're on my mind
Emaj7 Dbm Dmaj7
Don't suppose we could convince your lover to change his mind
Dbm B/D# Emaj7 B/D#
So goodbye
Dbm
She said "It's not now or never
B/D# Emaj7
Wait ten years, we'll be together"
B/D# Dbm
I said "Better late than never
B/D# Emaj7 B/D# Dbm B/D#
Just don't make me wait forever"
Emaj7 B/D# Dbm B/D#
Don't make me wait forever
Emaj7
Don't make me wait forever
Emaj7 Dbm Dmaj7
Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side
Emaj7 Dbm Dmaj7
Don't suppose you could convince your lover to change his mind
Emaj7 B/D#
I was doing fine without you
Dbm Amaj7
Till I saw your face, now I can't erase
Emaj7 B/D#
Giving in to all his bullshit
Dbm Amaj7
Is this what you want, is this who you are
Emaj7 B/D#
I was doing fine without you
Dbm Amaj7
Till I saw your eyes turn away from mine
Emaj7 B/D#
Oh sweet talking where he wants you
Dbm Amaj7 Emaj7 B/D#
Said come on Superman, say your stupid line
Dbm Amaj7 Emaj7 B/D#
Said come on Superman, say your stupid line
Dbm Amaj7
Said come on Superman, say your stupid line
Emaj7 B/D# Dbm Amaj7
End of song Play again?
Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Tame Impala – The Less I Know The Better: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dbm and ends on Amaj7. 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 6 times while Bm never appears. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Dmaj7 | Tonic — home | D · F# · A · C# | 6× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | — |
| V/V | Emaj7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Asecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D# | 24× |
| 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 | — |
| Vmaj7 | Amaj7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | A · C# · E · G# | 7× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | — |
| V/ii | B/D# | Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | 26× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| vii | Dbm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Db · Fb · Ab | 25× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | — |
| V/iv | B/D# | Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | 26× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| ii | Dbm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Db · Fb · Ab | 25× |
| IIImaj7 | Dmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A · C# | 6× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | — |
| IVmaj7 | Emaj7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | E · G# · B · D# | 24× |
| 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 | — |
| V/III | Amaj7 | Secondary dominant V/III — leads to Dsecondary dominant | A · C# · E · G# | 7× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 5 different chords appear 88 times in total; 1 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. B/D#, Emaj7, Amaj7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
There's no textbook cadence here; the chords circle around each other in a loop, so the song feels more like a groove than a series of arrivals.
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 B/D#, land on B, D#, F# — 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 Emaj7, land on E, G#, B — 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
- 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 B/D#, Dbm, Emaj7, Amaj7 — V/ii–vii–V/V–Vmaj7 from the D side, V/iv–ii–IVmaj7–V/III from the Bm side. B/D# adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Em. It closes on Amaj7, 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.
Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better 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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