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)
Dolly Parton - Jolene - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords C#m, B, E, G#m Easy key C (capo 4)
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
C#m
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B G#m C#m
Please don't take him just because you can
C#m E
Your beauty is beyond compare
B C#m
With flaming locks of auburn hair
B G#m C#m
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
E
Your smile is like a breath of spring
B C#m
Your voice is soft like summer rain
B G#m C#m
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene
C#m E
He talks about you in his sleep
B C#m
There's nothing I can do to keep
B G#m C#m
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
C#m E
And I can easily understand
B C#m
How you could easily take my man
B G#m C#m
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B G#m C#m
Please don't take him just because you can
C#m E
You could have your choice of men
B C#m
But I could never love again
B G#m C#m
He's the only one for me, Jolene
E
I had to have this talk with you
B C#m
My happiness depends on you
B G#m C#m
Whatever you decide to do, Jolene
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B G#m C#m
Please don't take him even though you can
End of song Play again?
Dolly Parton - Jolene Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Dolly Parton – Jolene: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C#m and ends on C#m. 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 C# minor side because it both starts and finishes on C#m and C#m is heard 32 times against 12 for E. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from E 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 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 | 12× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | — |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | 9× |
| 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 | — |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 24× |
| vi | C#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C# · E · G# | 32× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | Tonic — home | C# · E · G# | 32× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 12× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | — |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | 9× |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | — |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 24× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 4 different chords appear 77 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
- B C#m EV → videceptive cadence C#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×15
- G#m C#m Eiii → vi C#mv → inatural-minor cadence ×9
The move to watch is B → C#m, heard 15 times. From the C#m side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the E side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected E, lands on C#m). 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 C#m, land on C#, E, G# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — 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
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
- 3 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is C#m; the ear learns where home is within a second. C#m, B, E, G#m carry the song: vi–V–I–iii relative to E, i–VII–III–v relative to C#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on B → C#m (V → vi in E, VII → i in C#m): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. The final chord is C#m; the ear comes to rest in C#m.
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.
Dolly Parton - Jolene 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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