Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Taylor Swift - Guilty As Sin - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords A, G, D, Bm, D/F# Easy key G (capo 7)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
Bm
Drowning in the Blue Nile
G
He sent me Downtown Lights
Bm
I hadn't heard it in a while
My boredom was bone deep
G
This cage was once just fine
Am I allowed to cry
Bm
I dream of cracking locks
G
Throwing my life to the wolves
Or the ocean rocks
Bm
Crashing into him tonight
He's a paradox
I'm seeing visions
G D/F#
Am I bad or mad or wise
A D
What if he's written "mine"
A
On my upper thigh
G
Only in my mind
D
One slip, I'm falling back
Into the hedge maze
A G
Oh, what a way to die
I keep recalling
A
Things we never did
D
Messy top lip kiss
D/F#
How I long for our trysts
G
Without ever touching his skin
A Bm
How can I be guilty as sin
G
I keep these longings locked
Bm
In lowercase inside a vault
Someone told me there's no such things
G
As bad thoughts
Only your actions talk
Bm
These fatal fantasies
G
Giving way too labored breath
Taking all of me
Bm
We've already done it in my head
If it's make believe
G
Why does it feel like a vow
D/F#
We'll both uphold somehow
A D
What if he's written "mine"
A
On my upper thigh
G
Only in my mind
D
One slip, I'm falling back
Into the hedge maze
A G
Oh, what a way to die
My bedsheets are ablaze
A
I've screamed his name
D
Building up like waves
D/F#
Crashing over my grave
G
Without ever touching his skin
A D
How can I be guilty as sin
A D
What if I roll the stone away
They're gonna crucify me anyway
A
What if the way you hold me
D
Is actually what's holy
If long suffering propiety is
A
What they want from me
D
They don't know how you've
Bm
haunted me so stunningly
G A
I choose you and me, religously
What if he's written "mine"
On my upper thigh
G
Only in my mind
D
One slip, I'm falling back
Into the hedge maze
A G
Oh, what a way to die
I keep recalling
A
Things we never did
D
Messy top lip kiss
D/F#
How I long for our trysts
G
Without ever touching his skin
A D
How can I be guilty as sin
A D
He sent me downtown lies
A D
I hadn't heard it in a while
A G
Am I allowed to cry
End of song Play again?
Taylor Swift - Guilty As Sin Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Taylor Swift – Guilty As Sin: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bm and ends on G. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (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 D major and B minor because it opens on Bm and D is heard 20 times against 9 for Bm. 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 D or to Bm; 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 | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 15× |
| I | D/F# | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 5× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | — |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 19× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 20× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 9× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 9× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 15× |
| III | D/F# | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 5× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | — |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 19× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 20× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 5 different chords appear 68 times in total; 5 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
- A D DV → Iauthentic cadence BmVII → III ×12
- G A DIV → VIV → V BmVI → VIIVI → VII ×7
- G Bm DIV → vi BmVI → iVI → i ×6
- G D DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×3
- G D/F# DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×2
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is A → D, heard 12 times. From the D side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bm side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over A, 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 D, land on D, F#, A — 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 D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Bm; the ear learns where home is within a second. A, G, D, Bm carry the song: V–IV–I–vi relative to D, VII–VI–III–i relative to Bm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on A → D (V → I in D, VII → III in Bm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is G; the ear comes to rest in D.
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.
Taylor Swift - Guilty As Sin 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.
Find something to play next
Ready-made lists by difficulty and mood.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.