Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, D, C Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G C G G D G
G C G C G
Love is a burning thing
D G D G
And it makes a fiery ring
C G C G
Bound by wild desire
D G
I fell into a ring of fire
D C G
I fell into a burning ring of fire
D
I went down, down, down
C G
And the flames went higher
And It burns, burns, burns
D G
The ring Of fire
D G
The ring of fire
G C G G D G
C G C G
The taste of love is sweet
D G D G
When hearts like ours meet
C G C G
I fell for you like a child
D G
Ohh, but The fire went wild
D C G
I fell into a burning ring of fire
D
I went down, down, down
C G
And the flames went higher
And It burns, burns, burns
D G
The ring Of fire
D G
The ring Of fire
D C G
I fell into a burning ring Of fire
D
I went down, down, down
C G
And the flames went higher
And It burns, burns, burns
D G
The ring Of fire
D G
The ring of fire
And it burns, burns, burns
D G
The ring of fire
D G
The ring of fire
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Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on G. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because it both starts and finishes on G and G is heard 37 times while Em never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; 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 | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 37× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| III | B | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 16× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 22× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | — |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | — |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 37× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 16× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 22× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 3 different chords appear 75 times in total; 3 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
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×16
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×16
The move to watch is D → G, heard 16 times. From the G side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Em side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — 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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
Starting on G, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are G, D, C; read them as I–V–IV in G or III–VII–VI in Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on D → G (V → I in G, VII → III in Em): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on G, letting the G 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.
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire 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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