Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
The Weeknd - Save Your Tears - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords Am, G, C, Em, Dm, F Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C
Na na, yeah
C Am Em
I saw you dancing in a crowded room
G
You look so happy when I'm not with you
C Am Em
But then you saw me, caught you by surprise
G
A single teardrop falling from your eyes
C Am Em G
I don't know why I run away
C Am Em G
I'll make you cry when I run away
C Am Em
You could've asked me why I broke your heart
G
You could've told me that you fell apart
C Am Em
But you walked past me like I wasn't there
G
And just pretended like you didn't care
C Am Em G
I don't know why I run away
C Am Em G
I'll make you cry when I run away
Dm Am
Take me back 'cause I wanna stay
F G
Save your tears for another
C Am Em G
Save your tears for another day
C Am Em G
Save your tears for another day
C Am
So, I made you think that I would always stay
Em G
I said some things that I should never say
C Am
Yeah, I broke your heart like someone did to mine
Em G
And now you won't love me for a second time
C Am Em G
I don't know why I run away
C Am Em G
I'll make you cry when I run away
Dm Am
Girl, take me back 'cause I wanna stay
F G
Save your tears for another
Dm Am
I realize that I'm much too late
F G
And you deserve someone better
C Am Em G
Save your tears for another day (ooh, yeah)
C Am Em G
Save your tears for another day (Yeah)
C Am Em G
I don't know why I run away
C Am Em G
I'll make you cry when I run away
End of song Play again?
The Weeknd - Save Your Tears Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
The Weeknd – Save Your Tears: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C and ends on G. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between C major and A minor because it opens on C and Am is heard 21 times against 19 for C. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; 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 | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 19× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 3× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | 18× |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 3× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 21× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 21× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 21× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 19× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 3× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | 18× |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 3× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 21× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 6 different chords appear 85 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
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×17
- Dm Am Cii → vi Amiv → iminor plagal ×3
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
The move to watch is G → C, heard 17 times. From the C side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Am side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
Starting on C, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. Am, G, C, Em carry the song: vi–V–I–iii relative to C, i–VII–III–v relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on G → C (V → I in C, VII → III in Am): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. Ending on G, the song seals C 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.
The Weeknd - Save Your Tears 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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