Adele - Chasing Pavements - Chord

Key Eb major – C minor Chords F, Em, Am, Dm7, E7, G/F, C, F6 … Difficulty already in its easiest key

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Capo 0

Am  Em

Am
I've made up my mind
       Em/G
Don't need to think it over
         F6
If I'm wrong I am right
       E7
Don't need to look no further
            F6
This ain't lust
      G      G7          C   Am  Em
I   know   this   is    love    but

C
If I tell the world
      Em/B
I'll never say enough
              Am
Cause it was not said to you
             E/G#           E7
And that's exactly what I need to do
   F   F6    G6      G7
If I'm in love with you

  F           Em
Should I give up
     Am      Dm7               F
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
G/F         Em       E7
Even if it leads nowhere
    F             Em
Or would it be a waste
Am   Dm7            F             G/F       E7
Even if I knew my place should I leave it there
  F           Em
Should I give up
     Am      Dm7               F
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
G/F         Em       C
Even if it leads nowhere

Am
I'd build myself up
Em/G
And fly around in circles
          F
Wait then as my heart drops
        E7
And my back begins to tingle
 F              G6    G7
Finally could this be it

  F           Em
Should I give up
     Am      Dm7               F
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
G/F         Em       E7
Even if it leads nowhere
    F             Em
Or would it be a waste
Am   Dm7            F             G/F       E7
Even if I knew my place should I leave it there
  F           Em
Should I give up
     Am      Dm7               F
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
G/F         Em       C
Even if it leads nowhere

  F
Should I give up
             Em7
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
     Dm7          F/G
Even if it leads nowhere
             F
Or would it be a waste
            E7                              D7
Even if I knew my place should I leave it there
          F/G
Should I give up

             F        Em   Am    Dm7      F
Or should I just keep on chasing     pavements
          Em       Am   Dm7        F
Should I just keep on chasing pavements
F6   G7
Oh,  oh

  F           Em
Should I give up
     Am      Dm7               F
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
G/F         Em       E7
Even if it leads nowhere
    F             Em
Or would it be a waste
Am   Dm7            F             G/F       E7
Even if I knew my place should I leave it there
  F           Em
Should I give up
     Am      Dm7               F
Or should I just keep chasing pavements
G/F         Em       C
Even if it leads nowhere

End of song Play again?

Adele - Chasing Pavements Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Adele – Chasing Pavements: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Am and ends on C. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

Eb major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

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

Minor view

C minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)
#7 = B (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 C minor side because the major V chord points straight at Cm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Eb 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 Eb or to Cm; 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 Eb major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	Eb	Tonic — home	Eb · G · Bb	—
bii	Em	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	19×
bII7	E7	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	E · G# · B · D	10×
bii	Em/G	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	2×
bii	Em/B	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	1×
bII	E/G#	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	E · G# · B	1×
bii7	Em7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B · D	1×
ii	Fm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	F · Ab · C	—
II	F	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	F · A · C	26×
II6	F6	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	F · A · C · D	4×
II	F/G	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	F · A · C	2×
iii	Gm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	G · Bb · D	—
V/vi	G/F	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D	9×
V7/vi	G7	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D · F	4×
V/vi	G6	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D · E	2×
V/vi	G	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D	1×
IV	Ab	Subdominant — moves away from home	Ab · C · Eb	—
#iv	Am	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C · E	16×
V	Bb	Dominant — strongest pull home	Bb · D · F	—
vi	Cm	Relative minor — the melancholy side	C · Eb · G	—
V/ii	C	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Fmsecondary dominant	C · E · G	5×
vii°	Ddim	Leading-tone chord — tension	D · F · Ab	—
vii7	Dm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F · A · C	12×
V7/iii	D7	Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Gmsecondary dominant	D · F# · A · C	1×

Seen from C minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Cm	Tonic — home	C · Eb · G	—
V/iv	C	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Fmsecondary dominant	C · E · G	5×
ii°	Ddim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · Ab	—
ii7	Dm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F · A · C	12×
V7/v	D7	Secondary dominant V/v — leads to Gmsecondary dominant	D · F# · A · C	1×
III	Eb	Relative major — the bright side	Eb · G · Bb	—
#iii	Em	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	19×
#III7	E7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G# · B · D	10×
#iii	Em/G	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	2×
#iii	Em/B	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	1×
#III	E/G#	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G# · B	1×
#iii7	Em7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B · D	1×
iv	Fm	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · Ab · C	—
IV	F	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	F · A · C	26×
IV6	F6	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	F · A · C · D	4×
IV	F/G	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	F · A · C	2×
v	Gm	Minor dominant — soft pull	G · Bb · D	—
V	G/F	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	G · B · D	9×
V7	G7	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	G · B · D · F	4×
V6	G6	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	G · B · D · E	2×
V	G	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	G · B · D	1×
VI	Ab	Submediant — warm colour	Ab · C · Eb	—
#vi	Am	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C · E	16×
VII	Bb	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Bb · D · F	—

Analysis

The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 17 different chords appear 116 times in total; 0 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Cm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from Eb, the same G/F / G7 / G6 / G is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Cm. C, D7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. E7, E/G# are borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.

Chord movement

G7 C EbV7/vi → V/iisecondary resolution CmV7 → V/iv ×1

The move to watch is G7 → C, heard once. From the Cm side it is V7 → V/iv; from the Eb side it reads V7/vi → V/ii (secondary resolution: G7 resolves a fourth up to C). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

Eb major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Eb – F – G – Bb – C): start from Eb for a brighter phrase, from C for a bluesier one.
Over F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
When G comes, swap the scale's Bb for B: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
On E7, follow the chord's notes (E · G# · B · D) 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 Eb major shapes

Capo 1 + D shapes
Capo 3 + C shapes
Capo 6 + A shapes

With C minor shapes

Capo 3 + Am shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.

The song's harmonic story

Starting on Am, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is F, Em, Am, Dm7 — II–bii–#iv–vii7 from the Eb side, IV–#iii–#vi–ii7 from the Cm side. G/F is the interesting twist: in Eb it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Cm it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on G7 → C (V7/vi → V/ii in Eb, V7 → V/iv in Cm): secondary resolution — G7 resolves a fourth up to C. It closes on C, letting the Eb 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.