Beyonce - Hello - Chord

Key Gb major – Eb minor Chords Db9, Ebm7, Gb9, Abm7, Abm, B9, Bbm, G#m7 … Easy key G

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Capo 0

Abm7  Ebm7  Gb9  Db9

Abm7
  I love to see you walking into the room
Ebm7
 By the shining light in up the place
Gb9
  And when you talk everybody stop
  Db9
'Cause they know you know just what you're sayin'
Abm7
 The way that you protect your friends
Ebm7
   Baby, I respect you for that
Gb9                                     Db9    
And when you roll you take everyone you love along

I love that shit

 Abm7        Ebm7
Don't fly me away
                   Gb9           Db9
You don't need to buy a diamond key
              Abm7
To unlock my heart
                Ebm7
You shelter my soul
                         Gb9
You're my fire when I'm cold
           
I want you to know
   
 Db9              Abm7
You had me at hello (hello)
    Ebm7
Hello (hello)
    Gb9
Hello (hello)

 Db9              Abm7
You had me at hello (hello)
    Ebm7
Hello (hello)
    Gb9
Hello (hello)

    Db9             Abm7
It was many years ago (ago)
          Ebm7          Gb9
Baby, when you stole my cool
        Db9           Abm7
Cuz you had me at hello (hello)
  Ebm7
Hello (hello)
  Gb9   Db9
Hello ooh

Abm7                                      Ebm7
  I get so excited when you travel with me, baby

While I'm on my grind
Gb9
   And never will I ever let my hustle
Db9
Come between me and my family time and
Abm7
  You keep me humble out of this hype
Ebm7
   Cuz you know there's more to life
Gb9
   And if I need ya, you will be here
Db9
You will make the sacrifice

 Abm7        Ebm7
Don't fly me away
                   Gb9           Db9
You don't need to buy a diamond key
              Abm7
To unlock my heart
                Ebm7
You shelter my soul
                         Gb9
You're my fire when I'm cold
   
 Db9              Abm7
You had me at hello (hello)
  Ebm7
Hello (hello)
   Gb9
Hello (hello)

 Db9              Abm7
You had me at hello (hello)
  Ebm7
Hello (hello)
   Gb9
Hello (hello)

   Db9              Abm7
It was many years ago (ago)
          Ebm7           Gb9
Baby, when you stole my cool
         Db9          Abm7
Cuz you had me at hello (hello)
 Ebm7
Hello (hello)
  Gb9   Db9
Hello ooh

Abm        Gb9
   Gotta feel you
        Ebm7
And be near you
           Db9                       Abm
You're the air that I breathe to survive
       Gb9
Gotta hold you
          Ebm7
Want to show you
         Db9                      Abm        
That without you my Sun doesn't shine
                    Gb9
You don't have to try so
              Ebm7
Hard for me to love you  
        Db9                             Abm
Boy without you my life just ain't the same
                    Bbm
You don't have to try so
                B9
Hard for me to love you
   
 Db9              Abm7
You had me at hello (hello)
   Ebm7
Hello (hello)
    Gb9
Hello (hello)

 Db9              Abm7
You had me at hello (hello)
    Ebm7
Hello (hello)
    Gb9
Hello (hello)

   Db9              Abm7
It was many years ago (ago)
          Ebm7          Gb9
Baby, when you stole my cool
        Db9           Abm7
Cuz you had me at hello (hello)
 Ebm7
Hello (hello)
 Gb9   Db9
Hello ooh

B9  Ebm7  Gb9  Db9

   Db9              Abm7
It was many years ago (ago)
          Ebm7          Gb9
Baby, when you stole my cool
        Db9           Abm7
Cuz you had me at hello (hello)
  Ebm7
Hello (hello)
  Gb9   Db9
Hello ooh

G#m7  D#m7  F#9  C#9

End of song Play again?

Beyonce - Hello Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Beyonce – Hello: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Abm7 and ends on C#9. Its chords belong to both Gb major and Ebm, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

Gb major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = F (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = Cb (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

Eb minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = Cb (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = Db (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 Gb major and Eb minor. 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 Gb or to Ebm; 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.

Seen from Gb major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
V7/IV	Gb9	Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Bsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db · Fb · Ab	27×
V7/IV	F#9	Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Bsecondary dominant	F# · A# · C# · E · G#	1×
ii7	Abm7	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	Ab · Cb · Eb · Gb	23×
ii	Abm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	Ab · Cb · Eb	4×
ii7	G#m7	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	G# · B · D# · F#	1×
iii	Bbm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	Bb · Db · F	1×
V/vi	Bb	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Ebmsecondary dominant	Bb · D · F	—
IV7	B9	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D# · F# · A · C#	2×
V7	Db9	Dominant — strongest pull home	Db · F · Ab · Cb · Eb	29×
V7	C#9	Dominant — strongest pull home	C# · E# · G# · B · D#	1×
vi7	Ebm7	Relative minor — the melancholy side	Eb · Gb · Bb · Db	27×
vi7	D#m7	Relative minor — the melancholy side	D# · F# · A# · C#	1×
vii°	Fdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	F · Ab · Cb	—

Seen from Eb minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i7	Ebm7	Tonic — home	Eb · Gb · Bb · Db	27×
i7	D#m7	Tonic — home	D# · F# · A# · C#	1×
ii°	Fdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	F · Ab · Cb	—
V7/VI	Gb9	Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Bsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db · Fb · Ab	27×
V7/VI	F#9	Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Bsecondary dominant	F# · A# · C# · E · G#	1×
iv7	Abm7	Subdominant — moves away from home	Ab · Cb · Eb · Gb	23×
iv	Abm	Subdominant — moves away from home	Ab · Cb · Eb	4×
iv7	G#m7	Subdominant — moves away from home	G# · B · D# · F#	1×
v	Bbm	Minor dominant — soft pull	Bb · Db · F	1×
V	Bb	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	Bb · D · F	—
VI7	B9	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D# · F# · A · C#	2×
VII7	Db9	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Db · F · Ab · Cb · Eb	29×
VII7	C#9	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	C# · E# · G# · B · D#	1×

Analysis

The key pair is Gb major and its relative Eb minor (6 flats). 11 different chords appear 117 times in total; 8 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Gb9, F#9 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

Abm7 Ebm7 Gbii7 → vi7 Ebmiv7 → i7minor plagal ×23
G#m7 D#m7 Gbii7 → vi7 Ebmiv7 → i7minor plagal ×1
B9 Db9 GbIV7 → V7IV → V EbmVI7 → VII7VI → VII ×1
B9 Ebm7 GbIV7 → vi7 EbmVI7 → i7VI → i ×1

The move to watch is Abm7 → Ebm7, heard 23 times. From the Gb side it reads ii7 → vi7; from the Ebm side it is iv7 → i7 (minor plagal: deep and melancholic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

Gb major pentatonic and Eb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Gb – Ab – Bb – Db – Eb): start from Gb for a brighter phrase, from Eb for a bluesier one.
Over Db9, land on Db, F, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Ebm7, land on Eb, Gb, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Gb9, land on Gb, Bb, Db — 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 Gb major shapes

Capo 2 + E shapes
Capo 4 + D shapes
Capo 6 + C shapes

With Eb minor shapes

Capo 1 + Dm shapes
Capo 6 + Am shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

1 semitone up
6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch

The song's harmonic story

The first chord is Abm7; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is Db9, Ebm7, Gb9, Abm7 — V7–vi7–V7/IV–ii7 from the Gb side, VII7–i7–V7/VI–iv7 from the Ebm side. Gb9 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/IV — leads to B. Keep an ear on Abm7 → Ebm7 (ii7 → vi7 in Gb, iv7 → i7 in Ebm): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. The final chord is C#9; the ear comes to rest in Gb.

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.