Major view
F major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = E (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Bb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Coldplay - The Scientist - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords F, Bb, Dm7, Fsus2, C, C7 Easy key G
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Dm7 Bb
Come up to meet you
F
Tell you I'm sorry
Fsus2
You don't know how lovely you are
Dm7 Bb
I had to find you
F
Tell you I need you
Fsus2
Tell you I'll set you apart
Dm7 Bb
Tell me your secrets
F
And ask me your questions
Fsus2
Oh, lets go back to the start
Dm7 Bb
Running in circles
F
Coming up tails
Fsus2
Heads on a science apart
Bb F
Nobody said it was easy
Fsus2 Bb
It's such a shame for us to part
F
Nobody said it was easy
Fsus2 C
No one ever said it would be this hard
C7 F Bb F Bb
Oh take me back to the start
Dm7 Bb
I was just guessing
F
At numbers and figures
Fsus2
Pulling your puzzles apart
Dm7 Bb
Questions of science
F
Science and progress
Fsus2
Do not speak as loud as my heart
Dm7 Bb
Tell me you love me
F
Come back and haunt me
Fsus2
Oh and I rush to the start
Dm7 Bb
Running in circles
F
Coming up tails
Fsus2
Heads on a science apart
Bb F
Nobody said it was easy
Fsus2 Bb
It's such a shame for us to part
F
Nobody said it was easy
Fsus2 C
No one ever said it would be this hard
C7 F Bb F F
I am going back to the start
Dm7 Bb F F
Dm7 Bb F
Oh uhhh uh uh uh uh
Dm7 Bb F
Oh uhhh uh uh uh uh
Dm7 Bb F
Oh uhhh uh uh uh uh
Dm7 Bb F
Oh uhhh uh uh uh uh
End of song Play again?
Coldplay - The Scientist Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Coldplay – The Scientist: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dm7 and ends on F. Its chords belong to both F major and Dm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
D minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Bb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = C (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the F major side because it comes to rest on F, it opens on Dm and F is heard 35 times against 13 for Dm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from D minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to F or to Dm; 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 | F | Tonic — home | F · A · C | 23× |
| Isus2 | Fsus2 | Tonic — home | F · G · C | 12× |
| ii | Gm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D | — |
| iii | Am | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E | — |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | — |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | 20× |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | 2× |
| V7 | C7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G · Bb | 2× |
| vi7 | Dm7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A · C | 13× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Dm7 | Tonic — home | D · F · A · C | 13× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | — |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | 23× |
| IIIsus2 | Fsus2 | Relative major — the bright side | F · G · C | 12× |
| iv | Gm | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D | — |
| v | Am | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E | — |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | — |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | 20× |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | 2× |
| VII7 | C7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G · Bb | 2× |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 6 different chords appear 72 times in total; 6 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
- Bb F FIV → Iplagal cadence DmVI → III ×19
- C7 F FV7 → Iauthentic cadence DmVII7 → III ×2
- Bb Dm7 FIV → vi7 DmVI → i7VI → i ×1
The move to watch is Bb → F, heard 19 times. From the F side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Dm side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- F major pentatonic and D minor pentatonic are the same five notes (F – G – A – C – D): start from F for a brighter phrase, from D for a bluesier one.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bb, land on Bb, D, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dm7, land on D, F, A — 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 F major shapes
- Capo 1 + E shapes
- Capo 3 + D shapes
- Capo 5 + C shapes
With D minor shapes
- No capo — open Dm shapes
- Capo 5 + Am 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 Dm7; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are F, Bb, Dm7, Fsus2; read them as I–IV–vi7–Isus2 in F or III–VI–i7–IIIsus2 in Dm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Bb → F (IV → I in F, VI → III in Dm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on F, the song seals F 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.
Coldplay - The Scientist 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.