Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Train - Hey Soul Sister - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords B, A, E, C#m Easy key G
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
E B C#m A
Heeey, Heeeey, Heeeey
E B C#m A
Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains
E B C#m A B
I knew I wouldn't forget you and so I went and let you blow my mind
E B C#m A
Your sweet moonbeam the smell of you in every single dream I dream
E B C#m A B
I knew when we collided you're the one I have decided who's one of my kind
A B E B A
Hey soul sister ain't that Mister Mister on the radio stereo
B E B
The way you move aint fair you know
A B E B A B
Hey soul sister I don't want to miss a single thing you do
E B C#m A
Tonight Heeey, Heeeey, Heeeey
E B C#m A
Just in time I'm so glad you have a one track mind like me
E B C#m A B
You gave my love direction a game show love connection we can't denyiiiiiiii
E B C#m A
I'm so obsessed my heart is bound to beat right outta my untrimmed chest
E B C#m A B
I believe in you like a virgin you're Madonna and I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind
A B E B A
Hey soul sister ain't that Mister Mister on the radio stereo
B E B
The way you move aint fair you know
A B E B A B
Hey soul sister I don't want to miss a single thing you do
E
Tonight
E
The way you can't cut a rug
B C#m
Watching you's the only drug I need
You're so gangster I'm so thug
A E
You're the only one I'm dreaming of you see
B
I can be myself now finally
C#m
In fact there's nothing I can't be
A B
I want the world to see you be with me
A B E B A
Hey soul sister ain't that Mister Mister on the radio stereo
B E B
The way you move aint fair you know
A B E B A B
Hey soul sister I don't want to miss a single thing you do tonight
A B E B A B
Hey soul sister I don't want to miss a single thing you do
E B C#m A
Tonight Heeey, Heeeey, Heeeey
E B C#m A B
Tonight Heeey, Heeeey, Heeeey
E
Tonight
End of song Play again?
Train - Hey Soul Sister Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Train – Hey Soul Sister: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on E. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E major side because it both starts and finishes on E and E is heard 26 times against 14 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from C# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to E or to C#m; 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 | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 26× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | — |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | — |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to C#msecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 28× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 44× |
| vi | C#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C# · E · G# | 14× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | Tonic — home | C# · E · G# | 14× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 26× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | — |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | — |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 28× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 44× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 4 different chords appear 112 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
- A B EIV → VIV → V C#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×20
- B E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×16
- B C#m EV → videceptive cadence C#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×14
- A E EIV → Iplagal cadence C#mVI → III ×8
The move to watch is A → B, heard 20 times. From the E side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the C#m side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — 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 E, land on E, G#, B — 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 E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 3 semitones up
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is E; the ear learns where home is within a second. B, A, E, C#m carry the song: V–IV–I–vi relative to E, VII–VI–III–i relative to C#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on A → B (IV → V in E, VI → VII in C#m): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. It closes on E, letting the E 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.
Train - Hey Soul Sister 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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