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)
Sam Smith - Diamonds - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords Am, Cmaj7/G, E7, F Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am
Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, diamonds
Am
Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, diamonds
Am
Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, diamonds
Am
Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, diamonds
Am
Have it all
Cmaj7/G
Rip our memories off the wall
E7
All the special things I bought
F
They mean nothing to me anymore
Am
But to you
Cmaj7/G
They were everything we were
E7
They meant more than every word
F
Now I know just what you love me for
Am
Take all the money you want from me
Cmaj7/G
Hope you become what you want from me
E7
Show me how little you care
F
How little you care, how little you care
Am
You dream of glitter and gold
Cmaj7/G
My hеart's been already sold
E7
Show you how little I care
F
How littlе I care, how little I care
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
You're never gonna hear my heart break
E7
Never gonna move in dark ways
F
Baby, you're so cruel
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
Material love won't fool me
E7
When you're not here I can breathe
F
Think I always knew
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Am
Shake it off
Cmaj7/G
Shake the fear of feeling lost
E7
Always me that pays the cost
F
I should never trust so easily
Am Cmaj7/G
You lied to me, lie lied to me
E7 F
Then left with my heart 'round your chest
Am
Take all the money you want from me
Cmaj7/G
Hope you become what you want from me
E7
Show me how little you care
F
How little you care, how little you care
Am
You dream of glitter and gold
Cmaj7/G
My hеart's been already sold
E7
Show you how little I care
F
How littlе I care, how little I care
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
You're never gonna hear my heart break
E7
Never gonna move in dark ways
F
Baby, you're so cruel
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
Material love won't fool me
E7
When you're not here I can breathe
F
Think I always knew
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
Woah oh
E7
Woah oh
F
Always knew
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
Woah oh
E7
Woah oh
F
Always knew
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
You're never gonna hear my heart break
E7
Never gonna move in dark ways
F
Baby, you're so cruel
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
Material love won't fool me
E7
When you're not here I can breathe
F
Think I always knew
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
You're never gonna hear my heart break
E7
Never gonna move in dark ways
F
Baby, you're so cruel
Am
My diamonds leave with you
Cmaj7/G
Material love won't fool me
E7
When you're not here I can breathe
F
Think I always knew
Am
My diamonds leave with you
End of song Play again?
Sam Smith - Diamonds Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sam Smith – Diamonds: 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)
- #7 = G# (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 A minor side because it both starts and finishes on Am, Am is heard 24 times against 18 for C and the major V chord points straight at Am. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Cmaj7/G | Tonic — home | C · E · G · B | 18× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V7/vi | E7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 18× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 18× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | — |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 24× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 24× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| IIImaj7 | Cmaj7/G | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G · B | 18× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V7 | E7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B · D | 18× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 18× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | — |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 4 different chords appear 78 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am.
Chord movement
- F Am CIV → vi AmVI → iVI → i ×18
The move to watch is F → Am, heard 18 times. From the Am side it is VI → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home); from the C side it reads IV → vi. 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 Cmaj7/G, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E7, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When E7 comes, swap the scale's G for G#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
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 first chord is Am; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is Am, Cmaj7/G, E7, F — vi–Imaj7–V7/vi–IV from the C side, i–IIImaj7–V7–VI from the Am side. E7 is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on F → Am (IV → vi in C, VI → i in Am): VI → i — falls a half step into home. Ending on Am, the song seals Am as home.
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.
Sam Smith - Diamonds 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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