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)
Katy Perry - Thinking Of You - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords A, B, E, Dbm, Gbm, Am, Gb Easy key G
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
E B
Comparisions are easily done
Dbm A
Once you've had a taste of perfection
E B
Like an apple hanging from a tree
Dbm A
I pick the ripest on i still got the seed
B Dbm A
You said move on where do i go
B Dbm A Am
I guess second best is all i will know
E Gbm A
Cause when i'm with him i am thinking of you, thinking of you
B
What you would do if
E Gbm
You were the one who was spending the night
A Am E Gbm
Oh i wish that i was looking into your eyes...eeeeeeyes
E B
You're like an indian summer in the middle of winter
Dbm A
Like a hard candy with a surprise center
E B
How do i get better once ive had the best
Dbm
You said there's tons of fish in the waters
A
So the waters i will test
B Dbm A
He kissed my lips i taste your mouth
B Dbm A Am
He pulled me in, i was disgusted with myself
E Gbm A
Cause when i'm with him i am thinking of you, thinking of you
B
What you would do if
E Gbm
You were the one who was spending the night
A Am
Oh i wish that i was looking into your
Dbm Gb
The best and yes i do regret
A B
How could i let myself let you go
Dbm Gb
And now, now the lesson's learned
A
I touched and i was burned
Am B
Oh i think you should know
E Gbm A
Cause when im with him i am thinking of you, thinking of you
B
What you would do if
E Gbm
You were the one who was spending the night
A Am E
Oh i wish that i was looking into your eyes
Gbm
Looking into your eyes
A
Looking into your eyes
B
I won't you walk through
E
And bust in the door
Gbm A
And take me away
Oh no more mistakes
Am E B Dbm A E B Dbm Am
Cause in your eyes I'd like to stay stay
End of song Play again?
Katy Perry - Thinking Of You Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Katy Perry – Thinking Of You: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on Am. 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 E major side because it opens on E and E is heard 15 times against 12 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from C# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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 | 15× |
| ii | Gbm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Gb · A · Db | 9× |
| V/V | Gb | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bsecondary dominant | Gb · Bb · Db | 2× |
| 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# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 19× |
| iv | Am | Minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | A · C · E | 8× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 16× |
| vi | Dbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Db · Fb · Ab | 12× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dbm | Tonic — home | Db · Fb · Ab | 12× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 15× |
| iv | Gbm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · A · Db | 9× |
| IV | Gb | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Gb · Bb · Db | 2× |
| 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# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 19× |
| vi | Am | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | A · C · E | 8× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 16× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 7 different chords appear 81 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Gb acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. Am is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- B Dbm EV → videceptive cadence C#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×11
- A B EIV → VIV → V C#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×9
- B E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×5
- Am E Eiv → Iminor plagal C#mvi → III ×5
- A E EIV → Iplagal cadence C#mVI → III ×3
The move to watch is B → Dbm, heard 11 times. From the E side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected E, lands on C#m); from the C#m side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home). 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 A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On Am, follow the chord's notes (A · C · E) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
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
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening E lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is A, B, E, Dbm — IV–V–I–vi from the E side, VI–VII–III–i from the C#m side. Gb adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to B. Keep an ear on B → Dbm (V → vi in E, VII → i in C#m): deceptive cadence — expected E, lands on C#m. The final chord is Am; the ear comes to rest in E.
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.
Katy Perry - Thinking Of You 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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