Major view
Bb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = A (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Eb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Birsen Tezer - İstanbul - Chord
Key Bb major – G minor Chords Gm, Cm, Ebmaj7, Bbmaj7, Edim, D7 Easy key C
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Key: Bb | Gm
Capo: 0
Gm
Gm
Beş dakikada bir
Ebmaj7 Cm Gm
Motorunun acelesine inat
Gm Ebmaj7
Biniyorum meçhule
Cm Ebmaj7 Gm
Ardımda martılar telaş
Gm Ebmaj7
Bırakıp gitmek var
Cm Gm
Şimdi seni yarim
Cm Bbmaj7
Dört yan ezan
Edim D7 Gm
Vapur vapur boğaz
Gm Ebmaj7 Cm
Sesim binlerce binlerce
Ebmaj7 Gm
Gözüm bugün
Gm Cm
Gözlerin İstanbul
Bbmaj7 Edim D7
İstanbul gözlerin bugün
Cm Bbmaj7
Gözlerin istanbul
Edim D7 Gm
İstanbul yüzün bugün
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Birsen Tezer - İstanbul Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Birsen Tezer – İstanbul: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Gm and ends on Gm. Its chords belong to both Bb major and Gm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
G minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Eb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = F (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = F# (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 G minor side because it both starts and finishes on Gm, Gm is heard 12 times against 3 for Bb and the major V chord points straight at Gm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Bb 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 Bb or to Gm; 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 | Bbmaj7 | Tonic — home | Bb · D · F · A | 3× |
| ii | Cm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · G | 7× |
| iii | Dm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | D · F · A | — |
| V7/vi | D7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Gmsecondary dominant | D · F# · A · C | 3× |
| IVmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · G · Bb · D | 6× |
| #iv° | Edim | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | E · G · Bb | 3× |
| V | F | Dominant — strongest pull home | F · A · C | — |
| vi | Gm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | G · Bb · D | 12× |
| vii° | Adim | Leading-tone chord — tension | A · C · Eb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Gm | Tonic — home | G · Bb · D | 12× |
| ii° | Adim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · Eb | — |
| IIImaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | Bb · D · F · A | 3× |
| iv | Cm | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · Eb · G | 7× |
| v | Dm | Minor dominant — soft pull | D · F · A | — |
| V7 | D7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | D · F# · A · C | 3× |
| VImaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Submediant — warm colour | Eb · G · Bb · D | 6× |
| #vi° | Edim | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | E · G · Bb | 3× |
| VII | F | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | F · A · C | — |
Analysis
The key pair is Bb major and its relative G minor (2 flats). 6 different chords appear 34 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Gm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from Bb, the same D7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Gm. Edim step outside the scale as colour chords.
Chord movement
- D7 Gm BbV7/vi → visecondary resolution GmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×2
- Cm Gm Bbii → vi Gmiv → iminor plagal ×2
- Ebmaj7 Gm BbIVmaj7 → vi GmVImaj7 → iVI → i ×2
The move to watch is D7 → Gm, heard 2 times. From the Gm side it is V7 → i (harmonic-minor cadence: the major V resolves dramatically); from the Bb side it reads V7/vi → vi (secondary resolution: D7 resolves a fourth up to Gm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Bb major pentatonic and G minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Bb – C – D – F – G): start from Bb for a brighter phrase, from G for a bluesier one.
- Over Gm, land on G, Bb, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Cm, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ebmaj7, land on Eb, G, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When D7 comes, swap the scale's F for F#: 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 Bb major shapes
- Capo 1 + A shapes
- Capo 3 + G shapes
- Capo 6 + E shapes
With G minor shapes
- Capo 3 + Em shapes
- Capo 5 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones up
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Gm; the ear learns where home is within a second. Gm, Cm, Ebmaj7, Bbmaj7 carry the song: vi–ii–IVmaj7–Imaj7 relative to Bb, i–iv–VImaj7–IIImaj7 relative to Gm. D7 is the interesting twist: in Bb it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Gm it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on D7 → Gm (V7/vi → vi in Bb, V7 → i in Gm): harmonic-minor cadence — the major V resolves dramatically. Ending on Gm, the song seals Gm as home.
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.
Birsen Tezer - İstanbul 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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