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)
Sabrina Carpenter - Vicious - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, C, Em, D, F Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G
G
One year, ten thousand bad moments
G
But it was dressed up in heated emotion
F
And I tried to look for the best in the worst
G
But, like, fuck me, that caused a commotion
G
You're lucky I'm a private person
G
I've quietly carried your burden
F
And everyone thinks you're an angel
G
But, shit, I would probably use different wordin'
G C
Oh, you're so vicious
Em D
Love me, then pretend you didn't
G C
Crush my heart and wreck my image
Em G
Why you gotta be so vicious
G
You like a certain type of woman
G
Who's smart but neglects intuition
F
When you're insecure, could be me, could be her
G
You just run to whoever is winnin'
F
Said that it was me and you for life
C
Now you're kinda actin' like I died
G C
Oh, you're so vicious
Em D
Love me, then pretend you didn't
G C
Crush my heart and wreck my image
Em D
Why you gotta be so, so, so
G C
Oh, you're so vicious
Em D
Love me, then pretend you didn't
G C
Half of me just can't resist it
Em D
Why you gotta be so vicious
Em D G
Oh, no
C
Why you gotta be so
Em D G
Oh, oh
C
Why you gotta be so vicious
Em D
You don't feel remorse, you don't feel the effects
G C
'Cause you don't think you hurt me if you wish me the best
Em D
I shoulda known all along, I was only the next one
G C
To take your love songs as a promise
G C
Oh, you're so vicious
Em D
I loved you but I wish I didn't
G C
If you're out there somewhere, listenin'
Em D
Why you gotta be so vicious
End of song Play again?
Sabrina Carpenter - Vicious Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sabrina Carpenter – Vicious: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on D. 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 opens on G and G is heard 23 times against 12 for Em. 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 | 23× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 13× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 11× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 12× |
| bVII | F | bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord | F · A · C | 4× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 12× |
| bII | F | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | F · A · C | 4× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 23× |
| 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 | 13× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 11× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 5 different chords appear 63 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. F is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- C Em GIV → vi EmVI → iVI → i ×11
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×9
- F G GbVII → IbVII → I EmbII → III ×3
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×2
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is C → Em, heard 11 times. From the G side it reads IV → vi; from the Em side it is VI → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home). 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 C, land on C, E, G — 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.
- On F, follow the chord's notes (F · A · C) 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 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, C, Em, D; read them as I–IV–vi–V in G or III–VI–i–VII in Em. F briefly darkens the picture: bvii — borrowed (mixolydian / parallel minor). Keep an ear on C → Em (IV → vi in G, VI → i in Em): VI → i — falls a half step into home. It closes on D, 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.
Sabrina Carpenter - Vicious 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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