Madonna - Secret - Chord

Key Ab major – F minor Chords C, Dm, Bb, Bm5, A7, A7/C#, Gm7, Bbmaj7 … Easy key Bb

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Capo 0

A7  A4  A7

Dm       C                 Bm5    Bb
   Things haven't been the same
             Dm        C      Bb
   Since you came into my li fe

     Dm    C        Bbmaj7     Bb
You found a way to touch my soul
       A7                     A7   A7
And I'm never, ever, ever gonna let it go

Gm7           A7            Dm7
   Happiness lies in your own hand
C           C       Gm7             A7
It took me much too long to understand
             Bbmaj7
How it could be
C         A7/C#                    Dm   C
Until you shared your secret with me

    Bm5                Bb     Dm C
    Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb     Dm C
Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb   A7
Something's comin' over me
   A7/C#
My baby's got a secret

Dm       C                 Bm5    Bb
  You gave me back the paradise
Dm       C                 Bm5    Bb
 That I thought I lost for go od
    Dm       C       Bm5        Bb
You helped me find the reasons why
   A7                          A7A7
It took me by surprise that you understood
Dm   C          Bm5     Bb
  You knew all along
       Dm      C        Bm5     Bb
 What I never wanted to say
   Dm    C         Bm5     Bb
Until I learned to love myself

      A7                  A7 A7
I was never ever lovin' anybody else

Gm7           A7            Dm7
   Happiness lies in your own hand
C                   Gm7             A7
It took me much too long to understand
             Bbmaj7
How it could be
C          A7/C#                  Dm    C
Until you shared your secret with me

    Bm5                Bb     Dm C
    Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb     Dm C
Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb   A7
Something's comin' over me
   A7/C#                  Dm   C
My baby's got a secret, mmmm mmm

    Bm5                Bb     Dm C
    Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb     Dm C
Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb   A7
Something's comin' over me
   A7/C#
My baby's got a secret

Gm7           A7            Dm7
   Happiness lies in your own hand
    Em7             Gm7             A7
It took me much too long to understand
             Bbmaj7
How it could be
C          A7/C#                  Dm    C
Until you shared your secret with me

Dm  C  Bm5   Bb
       Dm  C  Bm5   Bb
       Dm  C  Bm5   Bb  A7  A7/C#

 Dm    C
Mmm, mmmm
    Bm5                Bb     Dm C
    Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb     Dm C
Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb   A7
Something's comin' over me
   A7/C#                  Dm   C
My baby's got a secret, mmmm mmm

    Bm5                Bb     Dm C
    Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb     Dm C
Something's comin' over, mmm mmm
Bm5                Bb   A7
Something's comin' over me
   A7/C#
My baby's got a secret

 Dm    C
Mmm, mmmm
    Bm5         Bb
My baby’s got a secret
 Dm    C
Mmm, mmmm
    Bm5         Bb
My baby’s got a secret
 Dm    C
Mmm, mmmm
    Bm5         Bb              A7  A7/C# Dm
My baby’s got a secret from me

End of song Play again?

Madonna - Secret Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Madonna – Secret: key and chord analysis

The song opens on A7 and ends on Dm. Its chords belong to both Ab major and Fm, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

Ab major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = G (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = Db (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

F minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = Db (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = Eb (natural-minor colour)
#7 = E (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the F minor side because the major V chord points straight at Fm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Ab 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 Ab or to Fm; 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.

Seen from Ab major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	Ab	Tonic — home	Ab · C · Eb	—
bII7	A7	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	A · C# · E · G	21×
bII7	A7/C#	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	A · C# · E · G	10×
bII	A4	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	A · C# · E	1×
ii	Bbm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	Bb · Db · F	—
II	Bb	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Bb · D · F	30×
IImaj7	Bbmaj7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Bb · D · F · A	4×
biii	Bm5	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D · F#	28×
iii	Cm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	C · Eb · G	—
III	C	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	C · E · G	37×
IV	Db	Subdominant — moves away from home	Db · F · Ab	—
#iv	Dm	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F · A	32×
#iv7	Dm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F · A · C	3×
V	Eb	Dominant — strongest pull home	Eb · G · Bb	—
bvi7	Em7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B · D	1×
vi	Fm	Relative minor — the melancholy side	F · Ab · C	—
vii°	Gdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	G · Bb · Db	—
vii7	Gm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	G · Bb · D · F	6×

Seen from F minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Fm	Tonic — home	F · Ab · C	—
ii°	Gdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	G · Bb · Db	—
ii7	Gm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	G · Bb · D · F	6×
III	Ab	Relative major — the bright side	Ab · C · Eb	—
#III7	A7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C# · E · G	21×
#III7	A7/C#	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C# · E · G	10×
#III	A4	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C# · E	1×
iv	Bbm	Subdominant — moves away from home	Bb · Db · F	—
IV	Bb	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	Bb · D · F	30×
IVmaj7	Bbmaj7	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	Bb · D · F · A	4×
#iv	Bm5	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D · F#	28×
v	Cm	Minor dominant — soft pull	C · Eb · G	—
V	C	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	C · E · G	37×
VI	Db	Submediant — warm colour	Db · F · Ab	—
#vi	Dm	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F · A	32×
#vi7	Dm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F · A · C	3×
VII	Eb	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Eb · G · Bb	—
#vii7	Em7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B · D	1×

Analysis

The key pair is Ab major and its relative F minor (4 flats). 11 different chords appear 173 times in total; 0 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Fm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull. A7, A7/C#, A4 are borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.

Chord movement

A7/C# Dm AbbII7 → #ivsecondary resolution Fm#III7 → #vi ×9
A7 Dm7 AbbII7 → #iv7secondary resolution Fm#III7 → #vi7 ×3
A7 Dm AbbII7 → #ivsecondary resolution Fm#III7 → #vi ×1

The move to watch is A7/C# → Dm, heard 9 times. From the Fm side it is #III7 → #vi; from the Ab side it reads bII7 → #iv (secondary resolution: A7/C# resolves a fourth up to Dm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

Ab major pentatonic and F minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Ab – Bb – C – Eb – F): start from Ab for a brighter phrase, from F for a bluesier one.
Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Dm, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Bb, land on Bb, D, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
When C comes, swap the scale's Eb for E: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
On A7, follow the chord's notes (A · C# · E · G) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.

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 Ab major shapes

Capo 1 + G shapes
Capo 4 + E shapes
Capo 6 + D shapes

With F minor shapes

Capo 1 + Em shapes
Capo 3 + Dm shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

2 semitones up
5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch

The song's harmonic story

The opening A7 lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is C, Dm, Bb, Bm5 — III–#iv–II–biii from the Ab side, V–#vi–IV–#iv from the Fm side. C is the interesting twist: in Ab it is a chromatic chord (III), while in Fm it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on A7/C# → Dm (bII7 → #iv in Ab, #III7 → #vi in Fm): secondary resolution — A7/C# resolves a fourth up to Dm. Ending on Dm, the song seals Ab 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.