Major view
Db major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Gb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords Db, Ab, Bbm, Gb, F7 Easy key G (capo 6)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
Db Bbm Db Bbm
Db Bbm
I heard there was a secret chord
Db Bbm
That David played and it pleased the lord
Gb Ab Db Ab
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Db Gb Ab
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
Bbm Gb
The minor fall and the major lift
Ab F7 Bbm
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Gb Bbm Gb Db Ab Db Ab
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu u u u jah
Db Bbm
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
Db Bbm
You saw her bathing on the roof
Gb Ab Db Ab
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
Db Gb Ab
She tied you to her kitchen chair
Bbm Gb
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
Ab F7 Bbm
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Gb Bbm Gb Db Ab Db Ab
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu u u u jah
Db Bbm
Baby I've been here before
Db Bbm
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
Gb Ab Db Ab
I used to live alone before I knew you
Db Gb Ab
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Bbm Gb
But love is not a victory march
Ab F7 Bbm
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Gb Bbm Gb Db Ab Db Ab
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu u u u jah
Db Bbm
Well there was a time when you let me know
Db Bbm
What's really going on below
Gb Ab Db Ab
But now you never show that to me do you
Db Gb Ab
But remember when I moved in you
Bbm Gb
And the holy dove was moving too
Ab F7 Bbm
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Gb Bbm Gb Db Ab Db Ab
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu u u u jah
Db Bbm
Well, maybe there's a god above
Db Bbm
But all I've ever learned from love
Gb Ab Db Ab
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
Db Gb Ab
It's not a cry that you hear at night
Bbm Gb
It's not somebody who's seen the light
Ab F7 Bbm
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Gb Bbm Gb Db Ab Db Ab
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu u u u jah
End of song Play again?
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Db and ends on Ab. Its chords belong to both Db major and Bbm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Bb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Gb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Ab (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = A (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 Db major side because it opens on Db, Db is heard 32 times against 27 for Bbm and the major V chord points straight at Bbm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from Bb minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Db or to Bbm; 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 | Db | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab | 32× |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | — |
| V7/vi | F7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bbmsecondary dominant | F · A · C · Eb | 5× |
| IV | Gb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · Bb · Db | 25× |
| V | Ab | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb | 30× |
| vi | Bbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Bb · Db · F | 27× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Tonic — home | Bb · Db · F | 27× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | Db | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab | 32× |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | — |
| V7 | F7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C · Eb | 5× |
| VI | Gb | Submediant — warm colour | Gb · Bb · Db | 25× |
| VII | Ab | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb | 30× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 5 different chords appear 119 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Bbm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from Db, the same F7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Bbm.
Chord movement
- Ab Db DbV → Iauthentic cadence BbmVII → III ×19
- Gb Ab DbIV → VIV → V BbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×15
- F7 Bbm DbV7/vi → visecondary resolution BbmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×5
- Ab Bbm DbV → videceptive cadence BbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×5
- Gb Db DbIV → Iplagal cadence BbmVI → III ×5
- Gb Bbm DbIV → vi BbmVI → iVI → i ×5
The move to watch is Ab → Db, heard 19 times. From the Db side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bbm side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Db major pentatonic and Bb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Db – Eb – F – Ab – Bb): start from Db for a brighter phrase, from Bb for a bluesier one.
- Over Db, land on Db, F, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bbm, land on Bb, Db, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When F7 comes, swap the scale's Ab for A: 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 Db major shapes
- Capo 1 + C shapes
- Capo 4 + A shapes
- Capo 6 + G shapes
With Bb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Am shapes
- Capo 6 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Db, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are Db, Ab, Bbm, Gb; read them as I–V–vi–IV in Db or III–VII–i–VI in Bbm. F7 is the interesting twist: in Db it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Bbm it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Ab → Db (V → I in Db, VII → III in Bbm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is Ab; the ear comes to rest in Db.
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.
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah 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.
Repertoires with this song
Similar songs, ready to play: pick a list.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.