Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Miley Cyrus - Stay - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords F, G, Am, C, Em, Dm Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am
Well it's good to hear your voice
F
I hope you're doing fine
G
And if you ever wonder
F
I'm lonely here tonight
Am
Lost here in this moment
F
And time keeps slipping by
G
And if I could have just one wish
F
I'd have you by my side
Em Dm G
Oh, oh I miss you
Em Dm G
Oh, oh I need you
Am
And I love you more
F
Than I did before
C G
And if today I don't see your face
Am F
Nothing's changed no one can take your place
C G
It gets harder everyday
Am
Say you love me more
F
Than you did before
C G
And I'm sorry it's this way
Am
But I'm coming home
F
I'll be coming home
C G
And if you ask me I will stay
F
I will stay
Am
Well I try to live without you
F
The tears fall from my eyes
G
I'm alone and I feel empty
F
God I'm torn apart inside
Am
I look up at the stars
F
Hoping you're doing the same
G
Somehow I feel closer
F
And I can hear you say:
Em Dm G
Oh, oh I miss you
Em Dm G
Oh, oh I need you
Am
And I love you more
F
Than I did before
C G
And if today I don't see your face
Am F
Nothing's changed no one can take your place
C G
It gets harder everyday
Am
Say you love me more
F
Than you did before
C G
And I'm sorry it's this way
Am
But I'm coming home
F
I'll be coming home
C G
And if you ask me I will stay
F
I will stay..
Em
Always stay
Dm
I never wanna lose you
G
And if I had to I would chose you
F Em
So stay, please always stay
Dm
You're the one that I hold on to
G F
My heart would stop without... you
Am
And I love you more
F
Than I did before
C G
And if today I don't see your face
Am F
Nothing's changed no one can take your place
C G
It gets harder everyday
Am
Say you love me more
F
Than you did before
C G
And I'm sorry it's this way
Am
But I'm coming home
F
I'll be coming home
C G
And if you ask me I will stay
Am F C G
I will staaaaaaaaaaay..
Am F C G
I always staaaaaaaaaaaay
Am
I love you more
F
Than I did before
C G
And I'm sorry that it's this way
Am
But I'm comin' home.
F
I'll be coming home
C G
And if you ask I will stay
F
I will stay
Am
I will stay..
End of song Play again?
Miley Cyrus - Stay Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Miley Cyrus – Stay: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on Am. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it both starts and finishes on Am and Am is heard 21 times against 16 for C. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C 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 C or to Am; 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 | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 16× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 6× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | 6× |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 29× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 26× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 21× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 21× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 16× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 6× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | 6× |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 29× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 26× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 6 different chords appear 104 times in total; 6 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
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×16
- G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×15
- Dm G Cii → Vii → V Amiv → VII ×6
- F Am CIV → vi AmVI → iVI → i ×5
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×4
The move to watch is F → C, heard 16 times. From the Am side it is VI → III; from the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — 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 Am, land on A, C, E — 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Am, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. F, G, Am, C carry the song: IV–V–vi–I relative to C, VI–VII–i–III relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is Am; the ear comes to rest in Am.
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.
Miley Cyrus - Stay 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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