Major view
A major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = D (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Sam Smith - La La La - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords Bm7, Gbm, E Easy key G (capo 2)
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Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
Gbm E
Hush, don't speak
Bm7
When you spit your venom, keep it shut I hate it
Gbm E
When you hiss and preach
Bm7
About your new messiah 'cause your theories catch fire
Gbm E
I can't find those silver linings
Bm7
I don't mean to judge
Gbm E
But when you read your speech, it's tiring
Bm7
Enough is enough
Gbm E
I'm covering my ears like a kid
Bm7
When your words mean nothing, I go la la la
Gbm E
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
Bm7
Cause if my heart can't stop it, I find a way to block it
I go
Gbm
La la, la la la
E
La la, la la la
Bm7
La la, la la la
Bm7
I find a way to block it
I go
Gbm
La la, la la la
E
La la, la la la
Bm7
La la, la la la
Gbm E
Yes our love is running out of time
Bm7
I won't count the hours, rather be a coward
Gbm E
When our worlds collide
Bm7
I'm gonna drown you out before I lose my mind
Gbm E
I can't find those silver linings
Bm7
I don't mean to judge
Gbm E
But when you read your speech, it's tiring
Bm7
Enough is enough
Gbm E
I'm covering my ears like a kid
Bm7
When your words mean nothing, I go la la la
Gbm E
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
Bm7
Cause if my heart can't stop it, I find a way to block it
I go
Gbm
La la, la la la
E
La la, la la la
Bm7
La la, la la la
Bm7
I find a way to block it
I go
Gbm
La la, la la la
E
La la, la la la
Bm7
La la, la la la
End of song Play again?
Sam Smith - La La La Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sam Smith – La La La: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Gbm and ends on Bm7. Its chords belong to both A major and F#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = D (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = E (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the F# minor side because it opens on F#m and F#m is heard 16 times while A never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from A 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 A or to F#m; 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 | A | Tonic — home | A · C# · E | — |
| ii7 | Bm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# · A | 18× |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| V/vi | C# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Gbmsecondary dominant | C# · E# · G# | — |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | — |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | 16× |
| vi | Gbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Gb · A · Db | 16× |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Gbm | Tonic — home | Gb · A · Db | 16× |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | — |
| iv7 | Bm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# · A | 18× |
| v | C#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | C# · E · G# | — |
| V | C# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C# · E# · G# | — |
| VI | D | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A | — |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | 16× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 3 different chords appear 50 times in total; 3 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
- Bm7 Gbm Aii7 → vi F#miv7 → iminor plagal ×15
The move to watch is Bm7 → Gbm, heard 15 times. From the F#m side it is iv7 → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the A side it reads ii7 → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (A – B – C# – E – F#): start from A for a brighter phrase, from F# for a bluesier one.
- Over Bm7, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gbm, land on Gb, A, Db — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — 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 A major shapes
- No capo — open A shapes
- Capo 2 + G shapes
- Capo 5 + E shapes
With F# minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Em shapes
- Capo 4 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 3 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Gbm, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are Bm7, Gbm, E; read them as ii7–vi–V in A or iv7–i–VII in F#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Bm7 → Gbm (ii7 → vi in A, iv7 → i in F#m): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. It closes on Bm7, letting the A 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.
Sam Smith - La La La 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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