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)
Elvis Presley - Cant Help Falling In Love - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords D, A, G, F#m, Bm, C#7, B7, Em Easy key C (capo 2)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
D A Bm D A
D F#m Bm G D A
Wise men say, only fools rush in
G A Bm G D A D
But I can't help falling in love with you
D F#m Bm G D A
Shall I stay, would it be a sin?
G A Bm G D A D
If I can't help falling in love with you
F#m C#7 F#m C#7
Like a river flows surely to the sea
F#m C#7
Darling so it goes
F#m B7 Em A
some things are meant to be
D F#m Bm G D A
Take my hand, take my whole life too
G A Bm G D A D
For I can't help falling in love with you
F#m C#7 F#m C#7
Like a river flows surely to the sea
F#m C#7
Darling so it goes
F#m B7 Em A
Some things are meant to be
D F#m Bm G D A
Take my hand, take my whole life too
G A Bm G D A D
For I can't help falling in love with you
G A Bm G D A D
For I can't help falling in love with you
End of song Play again?
Elvis Presley - Cant Help Falling In Love Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Elvis Presley – Cant Help Falling In Love: 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 20 times against 10 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 | 20× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 2× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | 12× |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 14× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 18× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 10× |
| V7/ii | B7 | Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# · A | 2× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| V7/iii | C#7 | Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to F#msecondary dominant | C# · E# · G# · B | 6× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 10× |
| V7/iv | B7 | Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# · A | 2× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| V7/v | C#7 | Secondary dominant V/v — leads to F#msecondary dominant | C# · E# · G# · B | 6× |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 20× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 2× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | 12× |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 14× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 18× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 8 different chords appear 84 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. C#7, B7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- G D DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×9
- A D DV → Iauthentic cadence BmVII → III ×8
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×6
- C#7 F#m DV7/iii → iiisecondary resolution BmV7/v → v ×6
- G A DIV → VIV → V BmVI → VIIVI → VII ×5
- F#m Bm Diii → vi Bmv → inatural-minor cadence ×4
The move to watch is G → D, heard 9 times. From the D side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Bm side it is VI → 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 G, land on G, B, D — 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
Starting on D, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is D, A, G, F#m — I–V–IV–iii from the D side, III–VII–VI–v from the Bm side. C#7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/iii — leads to F#m. Keep an ear on G → D (IV → I in D, VI → III in Bm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is D; the ear comes to rest in D.
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.
Elvis Presley - Cant Help Falling In Love 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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