Extreme - More Than Words - Chord

Chord degrees: major and relative minor

Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Gb or to Ebm; 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.

Analysis

The key pair is Gb major and its relative Eb minor (6 flats). 12 different chords appear 113 times in total; 10 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Gb7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. Bm is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.

Chord movement

1. Abm7 → Db7 Gbii7 → V7ii → V Ebmiv7 → VII7 ×8
2. Db → Gb GbV → Iauthentic cadence EbmVII → III ×6
3. Db7 → Gb GbV7 → Iauthentic cadence EbmVII7 → III ×6
4. Db → Ebm GbV → videceptive cadence EbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×6
5. B → Db GbIV → VIV → V EbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
6. B → Gb GbIV → Iplagal cadence EbmVI → III ×4

The move to watch is Abm7 → Db7, heard 8 times. From the Gb side it reads ii7 → V7 (ii → V: the classic preparation of the dominant); from the Ebm side it is iv7 → VII7. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Capo and easier keys

The song's harmonic story

The opening Gb lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Gb, B, Abm7, Db carry the song: I–IV–ii7–V relative to Gb, III–VI–iv7–VII relative to Ebm. Gb7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/IV — leads to B. Keep an ear on Abm7 → Db7 (ii7 → V7 in Gb, iv7 → VII7 in Ebm): ii → V — the classic preparation of the dominant. It closes on Gb, letting the Gb 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.