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)
Shawn Mendes - If I Can't Have You - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords Gbm, Em, G, Bm Easy key C (capo 2)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Bm Em Gbm
G Gbm Bm
I'm in Toronto and I got this view
Em Gbm
But I might as well be in a hotel room, yeah
G Gbm Bm
It doesn't matter 'cause I'm so consumed
Em Em Gbm
Spending all my nights reading texts from you
G Gbm Bm
Oh, I'm good at keeping my distance
Em Em Gbm
I know that you're the feeling I'm missing
G Gbm Bm
You know that I hate to admit it
G Gbm Em
But everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Bm
I'm so sorry that my timing's off
Em Gbm
But I can't move on if we're still gonna talk
G Gbm Bm
Is it wrong for me to not want half
Em Em Gbm
I want all of you, all the strings attached
G Gbm Bm
Oh, I'm good at keeping my distance
Em Em Gbm
I know that you're the feeling I'm missing
G Gbm Bm
You know that I hate to admit it
G Gbm Em
But everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Bm
I'm trying to move on, forget you, but I hold on
Em Gbm
Everything means nothing, everything means nothing, babe
G Gbm Bm
I'm trying to move on, forget you, but I hold on
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
G Gbm Em Gbm G
I can't write one song that's not about you
Gbm Em Gbm G
Can't drink without thinking about you
Gbm Em Gbm
Is it too late to tell you that
G Gbm Em
Everything means nothing if I can't have you
End of song Play again?
Shawn Mendes - If I Can't Have You Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Shawn Mendes – If I Can't Have You: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on Em. 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: to us the song feels closer to the B minor side because Bm is heard 11 times while D never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from D 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 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 | — |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 43× |
| iii | Gbm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | Gb · A · Db | 71× |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 42× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | — |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 11× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 11× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | — |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 43× |
| v | Gbm | Minor dominant — soft pull | Gb · A · Db | 71× |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 42× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | — |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 4 different chords appear 167 times in total; 4 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
- Gbm Bm Diii → vi Bmv → inatural-minor cadence ×11
The move to watch is Gbm → Bm, heard 11 times. From the Bm side it is v → i (natural-minor cadence: gentle, modal arrival); from the D side it reads iii → vi. 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 Gbm, land on Gb, A, Db — 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 G, land on G, B, D — 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
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is G; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are Gbm, Em, G, Bm; read them as iii–ii–IV–vi in D or v–iv–VI–i in Bm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Gbm → Bm (iii → vi in D, v → i in Bm): natural-minor cadence — gentle, modal arrival. The final chord is Em; 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.
Shawn Mendes - If I Can't Have You 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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