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)
Bob Dylan - Forever Young - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords D, A, F#m, Bm, G Easy key C (capo 2)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
D F#m
May God bless and keep you always, may your wishes all come true
Bm G D
may you always do for others and let others do for you
D F#m
May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung
G A D
and may you stay forever young
A Bm D A D
Forever young, forever young, may you stay forever young
D F#m
May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true
Bm G D
may you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you
D F#m
May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong
G A D
and may you stay forever young
A Bm D A D
Forever young, forever young, may you stay forever young
D F#m
ay your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift
Bm G D
may you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift
D F#m
May your heart always be joyful, may your song always be sung
G A D
and may you stay forever young
A Bm D A D
Forever young, forever young, may you stay forever young
End of song Play again?
Bob Dylan - Forever Young Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Bob Dylan – Forever Young: key and chord analysis
The song opens on D and ends on D. 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 it both starts and finishes on D and D is heard 18 times against 6 for Bm. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 18× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | — |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | 6× |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 6× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 9× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 6× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 6× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 18× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | — |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | 6× |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 6× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 9× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 5 different chords appear 45 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
- A D DV → Iauthentic cadence BmVII → III ×6
- G D DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×3
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3
- F#m Bm Diii → vi Bmv → inatural-minor cadence ×3
- G A DIV → VIV → V BmVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
The move to watch is A → D, heard 6 times. From the D side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bm side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
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 D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F#m, land on F#, A, C# — 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
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening D lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are D, A, F#m, Bm; read them as I–V–iii–vi in D or III–VII–v–i in Bm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on A → D (V → I in D, VII → III in Bm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on D, 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.
Bob Dylan - Forever Young 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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