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)
Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords C#m, B, G#m, Amaj7 Easy key C (capo 4)
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
C#m B G#m Amaj7
C#m B
This night is cold in the kingdom
G#m Amaj7
I can feel you fade away
C#m B
From the kitchen to the bathroom sink and
G#m Amaj7
Your steps keep me awake
C#m B
Don't cut me down, throw me out, leave me here to waste
G#m Amaj7
I once was a man with dignity and grace
C#m B
Now I'm slipping through the cracks of your cold embrace
G#m Amaj7
So please, please
C#m B
Could you find a way to let me down slowly
G#m Amaj7
A little sympathy, I hope you can show me
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
C#m
Let me down, down, let me down, down
B G#m Amaj7
Let me down, let me down, down, let me down, down, let me down
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
C#m B
Cold skin, drag my feet on the tile
G#m Amaj7
As I'm walking down the corridor
C#m B
And I know we haven't talked in a while
G#m Amaj7
So I'm looking for an open door
C#m B
Don't cut me down, throw me out, leave me here to waste
G#m Amaj7
I once was a man with dignity and grace
C#m B
Now I'm slipping through the cracks of your cold embrace
G#m Amaj7
So please, please
C#m B
Could you find a way to let me down slowly
G#m Amaj7
A little sympathy, I hope you can show me
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
C#m
Let me down, down, let me down, down
B G#m Amaj7
Let me down, let me down, down, let me down, down, let me down
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
C#m B G#m Amaj7
And I can't stop myself from falling doooown
C#m B G#m Amaj7
And I can't stop myself from falling down
C#m B G#m Amaj7
And I can't stop myself from falling doooown
C#m B G#m Amaj7
And I can't stop myself from falling down
C#m B
Could you find a way to let me down slowly
G#m Amaj7
A little sympathy, I hope you can show me
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
C#m
Let me down, down, let me down, down
B G#m Amaj7
Let me down, let me down, down, let me down, down, let me down
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
C#m B
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
G#m Amaj7
If you're leaving baby let me down slowly
End of song Play again?
Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C#m and ends on Amaj7. 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 opens on C#m and C#m is heard 26 times while E never appears. 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 | — |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | — |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | 26× |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to C#msecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IVmaj7 | Amaj7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E · G# | 26× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 26× |
| vi | C#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C# · E · G# | 26× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | Tonic — home | C# · E · G# | 26× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | — |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | — |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | 26× |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VImaj7 | Amaj7 | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E · G# | 26× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 26× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 4 different chords appear 104 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
- Amaj7 C#m EIVmaj7 → vi C#mVImaj7 → iVI → i ×25
The move to watch is Amaj7 → C#m, heard 25 times. From the C#m side it is VImaj7 → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home); from the E side it reads IVmaj7 → vi. 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 G#m, land on G#, B, D# — 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
Starting on C#m, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. C#m, B, G#m, Amaj7 carry the song: vi–V–iii–IVmaj7 relative to E, i–VII–v–VImaj7 relative to C#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Amaj7 → C#m (IVmaj7 → vi in E, VImaj7 → i in C#m): VI → i — falls a half step into home. It closes on Amaj7, 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.
Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly 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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