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)
Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff - Chord
Key Bb major – G minor Chords Gm, Dm7, Eb, Cm7 Easy key C
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Key: Bb | Gm
Capo: 0
Gm Cm7 Gm Cm7 Dm7
Riff
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|--5--3------------------------|
|--------5--3--1--5--3--1------|
|-------------------------/3---|
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
Eb Dm7 Gm
All around in my home town
Eb Dm7 Gm
They're trying to track me down
Eb Dm7 Gm
They say they want to bring me in guilty
Eb Dm7 Gm
For the killing of a deputy
Eb Dm7 Gm
For the life of a deputy But I say?
Riff
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, and they say it is a capital offense
Eb Dm7 Gm
Sheriff John Brown always hated me
Eb Dm7 Gm
For what I don't know
Eb Dm7 Gm
Every time that I plant a seed
Eb Dm7 Gm
He said "Kill it before it grows"
Eb Dm7 Gm
He said "Kill it before it grows", I say!
Riff
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
Eb Dm7 Gm
Freedom came my way one day
Eb Dm7 Gm
And I started out of town yeah
Eb Dm7 Gm
All of a sudden I see sheriff John Brown
Eb Dm7 Gm
Aiming to shoot me down
Eb Dm7 Gm
So I shot, I shot him down, I say!
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot the deputy
Eb Dm7 Gm
Reflexes got the better of me
Eb Dm7 Gm
And what is to be must be
Eb Dm7 Gm
Every day the bucket falls to the well
Eb Dm7 Gm
But one day the bottom will drop out
Eb Dm7 Gm
Yes, one day one day the bottom will drop out But I say
Riff
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy, oh no
Gm Cm7 Gm
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy, oh no
Cm7 Dm7 Gm
End of song Play again?
Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Eric Clapton – I Shot the Sheriff: 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)
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 and Gm is heard 42 times while Bb never appears. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Bb | Tonic — home | Bb · D · F | — |
| ii7 | Cm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · G · Bb | 13× |
| iii7 | Dm7 | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | D · F · A · C | 22× |
| V/vi | D | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Gmsecondary dominant | D · F# · A | — |
| IV | Eb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · G · Bb | 20× |
| V | F | Dominant — strongest pull home | F · A · C | — |
| vi | Gm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | G · Bb · D | 42× |
| vii° | Adim | Leading-tone chord — tension | A · C · Eb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Gm | Tonic — home | G · Bb · D | 42× |
| ii° | Adim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · Eb | — |
| III | Bb | Relative major — the bright side | Bb · D · F | — |
| iv7 | Cm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · Eb · G · Bb | 13× |
| v7 | Dm7 | Minor dominant — soft pull | D · F · A · C | 22× |
| V | D | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | D · F# · A | — |
| VI | Eb | Submediant — warm colour | Eb · G · Bb | 20× |
| 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). 4 different chords appear 97 times in total; 4 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
- Dm7 Gm Bbiii7 → vi Gmv7 → inatural-minor cadence ×22
- Cm7 Gm Bbii7 → vi Gmiv7 → iminor plagal ×11
The move to watch is Dm7 → Gm, heard 22 times. From the Gm side it is v7 → i (natural-minor cadence: gentle, modal arrival); from the Bb side it reads iii7 → vi. 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 Dm7, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Eb, land on Eb, G, Bb — 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 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 opening Gm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Gm, Dm7, Eb, Cm7 carry the song: vi–iii7–IV–ii7 relative to Bb, i–v7–VI–iv7 relative to Gm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Dm7 → Gm (iii7 → vi in Bb, v7 → i in Gm): natural-minor cadence — gentle, modal arrival. It closes on Gm, letting the Gm 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.
Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff 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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