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)
Shawn Mendes - Aftertaste - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords Am, F, C, G, Dm Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am F C
Re rewind Friday night, never forget it, how you let me go
Am F C
No more lies I'll be fine, know where I'm headed, probably should've known
Am F C
And now you're gonna say pretty, please forgive me
Am F G
Fool me once, told you twice gonna regret it, now you're all alone yeah
Am G F C
Turns out that no one can replace me
Am G F C
I'm permanent, you can't erase me
Am G F C
I'll help you remember me, one more kiss is all it takes
Am G F C
I'll leave you with the memory, and the aftertaste
Am F C
Close your eyes, you can't hide, try to forget me, but I'm everywhere
Am F C
I'm the smell on your sheets you weren't ready, when you left me there
Am F C
And now you're gonna say pretty, please forgive me, yeah
Am F G
Bet it hurts, it gets worse, you know nobody, said it would be fair oh
Am G F C
Turns out that no one can replace me
Am G F C
I'm permanent, you can't erase me
Am G F C
I'll help you remember me, one more kiss is all it takes
Am G F C
I'll leave you with the memory, and the aftertaste
Dm Am G Dm Am G
Now there's something in your way, cause you threw it all to waste
Dm Am G
And you wonder if you could take back what you did that day, and it hurts cause
Am G F C
Turns out that no one can replace me
Am G F C
I'm permanent, you can't erase me
Am G F C
I'll help you remember me, one more kiss is all it takes
Am G F C
I'll leave you with the memory, and the aftertaste
F C
Truth is that no one can replace me
Am G F C
I'm permanent, you can't erase me
Am G F C
I'll help you remember me, one more kiss is all it takes
Am G F C Am G
I'll leave you with the memory, and the aftertaste
F C
And the aftertaste
End of song Play again?
Shawn Mendes - Aftertaste Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Shawn Mendes – Aftertaste: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on C. 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: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between C major and A minor because it comes to rest on C, it opens on Am and Am is heard 27 times against 23 for C. 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 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 | 23× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 3× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 25× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 21× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 27× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 27× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 23× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 3× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 25× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 21× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 5 different chords appear 99 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
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×23
- G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3
- Dm Am Cii → vi Amiv → iminor plagal ×3
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×2
The move to watch is F → C, heard 23 times. From the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Am side it is VI → III. 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 Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — 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.
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
The opening Am lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Am, F, C, G carry the song: vi–IV–I–V relative to C, i–VI–III–VII 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. It closes on C, letting the C 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.
Shawn Mendes - Aftertaste 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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