Metallica - Nothing Else Matters - Chord

Key G major – E minor Chords D, C, Em, A, G, B7 Difficulty already in its easiest key

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Capo 0

Em                   D      C
  So close no matter how far
Em                      D             C
  couldn't be much more from the heart
Em                 D       C
  Forever trusting who we are
G     B7           Em
  and nothing else matters
Em               D            C
  Never opened myself this way
Em                         D      C
  life is ours, we live it our way
Em                  D              C
  All these words I don't just say
G     B7           Em
  and nothing else matters
Em                   D          C
  Trust I seek and I find in you
Em                 D            C
  every day for us something new
Em                D             C
  Open mind for a different view
G     B7           Em      C  A
  and nothing else matters


D                        C  A
Never cared for what they do
D                        C  A
never cared for what they know
D     Em
but I know


Em                   D      C
  So close no matter how far
Em                      D             C
  couldn't be much more from the heart
Em                 D       C
  Forever trusting who we are
G     B7           Em     C  A
  and nothing else matters


D                        C  A
Never cared for what they do
D                        C  A
never cared for what they know
D     Em
but I know


Em               D            C
  Never opened myself this way
Em                         D      C
  life is ours, we live it our way
Em                  D              C
  All these words I don't just say
G     B7           Em
  and nothing else matters
Em                   D          C
  Trust I seek and I find in you
Em                 D            C
  every day for us something new
Em                D             C
  Open mind for a different view
G     B7           Em     C   A
  and nothing else matter-ers


D                        C  A
Never cared for what they say
D                        C  A
Never cared for games they play
D                        C  A
Never cared for what they do
D                        C  A
Never cared for what they know
D     Em
but I know


Em                   D      C
  So close no matter how far
Em                      D             C
  couldn't be much more from the heart
Em                 D       C
  Forever trusting who we are
G     B7           Em
  and nothing else matters

End of song Play again?

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Em and ends on Em. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

G major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

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

Minor view

E minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
#7 = D# (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 E minor side because it both starts and finishes on Em, Em is heard 31 times against 7 for G and the major V chord points straight at Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from G 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 G or to Em; 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 G major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	G	Tonic — home	G · B · D	7×
ii	Am	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	A · C · E	—
V/V	A	Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Dsecondary dominant	A · C# · E	11×
iii	Bm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	B · D · F#	—
V7/vi	B7	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant	B · D# · F# · A	7×
IV	C	Subdominant — moves away from home	C · E · G	32×
V	D	Dominant — strongest pull home	D · F# · A	32×
vi	Em	Relative minor — the melancholy side	E · G · B	31×
vii°	F#dim	Leading-tone chord — tension	F# · A · C	—

Seen from E minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Em	Tonic — home	E · G · B	31×
ii°	F#dim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	F# · A · C	—
III	G	Relative major — the bright side	G · B · D	7×
iv	Am	Subdominant — moves away from home	A · C · E	—
IV	A	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	A · C# · E	11×
v	Bm	Minor dominant — soft pull	B · D · F#	—
V7	B7	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	B · D# · F# · A	7×
VI	C	Submediant — warm colour	C · E · G	32×
VII	D	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	D · F# · A	32×

Analysis

The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 6 different chords appear 120 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Em brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from G, the same B7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Em. A acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

C Em GIV → vi EmVI → iVI → i ×14
B7 Em GV7/vi → visecondary resolution EmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×7
C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×7
D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3

The move to watch is C → Em, heard 14 times. From the Em side it is VI → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home); from the G side it reads IV → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
When B7 comes, swap the scale's D for D#: 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 G major shapes

No capo — open G shapes
Capo 3 + E shapes
Capo 5 + D shapes

With E minor shapes

No capo — open Em shapes
Capo 2 + Dm shapes
Capo 7 + Am shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.

The song's harmonic story

The opening Em lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is D, C, Em, A — V–IV–vi–V/V from the G side, VII–VI–i–IV from the Em side. B7 is the interesting twist: in G it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Em it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on C → Em (IV → vi in G, VI → i in Em): VI → i — falls a half step into home. It closes on Em, letting the Em 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.

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters 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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