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)
Rihanna - What's My Name - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords F#m, A9, D9, D, A Easy key G (capo 2)
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Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
F#m A D
F#m
Ooh na na, what's my name
A9
Ooh na na, what's my name
D9
Ooh na na, what's my name
F#m
Ooh na na, what's my name
A9
Ooh na na, what's my name
D9
Ooh na na, what's my name
D9
Whats my name, whats my name
F#m A9
I heard you good with them soft lips
D9
Yeah you know word of mouth
The square root of 69 is 8 something
F#m
Cuz i've been tryna work it out, oooow
A9
Good weed, white wine
D9
I come alive in the night time okay, away we go
F#m
Only thing we have on is the radio
A9
Ooooh, let it play, say you gotta leave but i know you wanna stay
D9
You just waiting on the track to finish girl
The things we could do in twenty minutes girl
F#m
Say my name, say my name
A9
Wear it out, its getting hot, crack a window, air it out
D9
I can get you through a mighty long day
D
Soon as i go the text you already is gon say…
F#m A9
Not everybody knows how to work my body
D9
Knows how to make me want it
Boy you stay up on it
F#m A9
You got that something that keeps me so off balance
D9
Baby you're a challenge, lets explore your talent
F#m A9
Hey boy i really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me
D9
Hey boy, i really wanna be with you
Cause you just my type ooh na na na na
F#m
I need a boy to really take it over
A9
Looking for a guy to put in work
D9
Oooooh, oooooh
F#m
Ooh na na, what's my name
A9
Ooh na na, what's my name
D9
Ooh na na, what's my name
Whats my name, whats my name
F#m A9
Baby you got me, ain't nowhere that i'd be
D9
Then with your arms around me
Back and forth you rock me
F#m A9
So i surrender, to every word you whisper
D9
Every door you enter, i will let you in
F#m A9
Hey boy i really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me
D9
Hey boy, i really wanna be with you
Cause you just my type ooh na na na na
F#m
I need a boy to really take it over
A9
Looking for a guy to put in work
D9
Oooooh, oooooh
F#m A9
You're so amazing, you took the time to figure me out
D9
That's why you take me, way past the point of turning me on
F#m A9 D
You bout to break me, i swear you got me losing my mind
F#m
Ooh na na, what's my name
A9 D9
Ooh na na, what's my name
F#m
Ooh na na, what's my name
A9
Ooh na na, what's my name
D9
Ooh na na, what's my name
Whats my name, whats my name
F#m A9
Hey boy i really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me
D9
Hey boy, i really wanna be with you
Cause you just my type ooh na na na na
F#m
I need a boy to really take it over
A9
Looking for a guy to put in work
D9
Oooooh, oooooh
End of song Play again?
Rihanna - What's My Name Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Rihanna – What's My Name: key and chord analysis
The song opens on F#m and ends on D9. 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. 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 | 1× |
| V7/IV | A9 | Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Dsecondary dominant | A · C# · E · G · B | 21× |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| V/vi | C# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to F#msecondary dominant | C# · E# · G# | — |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | 3× |
| IV7 | D9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F# · A · C · E | 21× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | — |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | 22× |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | 22× |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | 1× |
| V7/VI | A9 | Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Dsecondary dominant | A · C# · E · G · B | 21× |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| 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 | 3× |
| VI7 | D9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F# · A · C · E | 21× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | — |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 5 different chords appear 68 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. A9 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- A9 D9 AV7/IV → IV7secondary resolution F#mV7/VI → VI7 ×20
- D9 F#m AIV7 → vi F#mVI7 → iVI → i ×18
- D F#m AIV → vi F#mVI → iVI → i ×3
- A9 D AV7/IV → IVsecondary resolution F#mV7/VI → VI ×1
The move to watch is A9 → D9, heard 20 times. From the F#m side it is V7/VI → VI7; from the A side it reads V7/IV → IV7 (secondary resolution: A9 resolves a fourth up to D9). 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 F#m, land on F#, A, C# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A9, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D9, land on D, F#, A — 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
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is F#m; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is F#m, A9, D9, D — vi–V7/IV–IV7–IV from the A side, i–V7/VI–VI7–VI from the F#m side. A9 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/IV — leads to D. Keep an ear on A9 → D9 (V7/IV → IV7 in A, V7/VI → VI7 in F#m): secondary resolution — A9 resolves a fourth up to D9. The final chord is D9; the ear comes to rest in A.
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.
Rihanna - What's My Name 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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