Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Whitney Houston - I Say A Little Prayer - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords Gmaj7, Am7/D, Em7, Am7, D7, C, D/C, Bm7 … Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Gmaj7 Am7/D Gmaj7 Am7/D Bmaj7 B7sus4 B7 9
Em7 Am7
The moment I wake up
D7 Gmaj7
Before I put on my makeup
F#m7 B7 9
I say a little prayer for you
Em7 Am7
While combing my hair, now
D7 Gmaj7
And wondering what dress to wear now
F#m7 B7 9
I say a little prayer for you
C D/C Bm7 G/B
Forever, and ever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
C D/C Bm7 G/B
Forever, and ever, we never apart
Dm7/G G7
how I love you
C D/C Bm7 G/B
Together, forever, that's how it must be
G7 Fmaj7/G G7
To live without you
C D/C B7
But only Be heart break for me
Em7 Am7
I run for the bus, dear
D7 Gmaj7
While riding I think of us, dear
F#m7 B7 9
I say a little prayer for you
Em7 Am7
At work I just take time
D7 Gmaj7
And all through my coffee break time
F#m7 B7 9
I say a little prayer for you
Em7 Am7
My darling, believe me
Am7/D Gmaj7
For me there is no one but you
Am7/D Gmaj7 Am7/D
Please love me too
Gmaj7 Am7/D
I'm in love with you
Gmaj7
Answer my prayer
Am7/D Gmaj7 Am7/D
Say you love me too
Gmaj7 Am7/D
Why don't you answer my prayer, yeah
Gmaj7 Am7/D
You know every day I say a little prayer
Gmaj7 Am7/D
I say, I say I say a little prayer
End of song Play again?
Whitney Houston - I Say A Little Prayer Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Whitney Houston – I Say A Little Prayer: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em7 and ends on Am7/D. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = D# (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 E minor side because it opens on Em, G is heard 18 times against 5 for Em and the major V chord points straight at Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from G 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 G or to Em; 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 | Gmaj7 | Tonic — home | G · B · D · F# | 12× |
| I | G/B | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 3× |
| V7/IV | G7 | Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Csecondary dominant | G · B · D · F | 3× |
| ii7 | Am7/D | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E · G | 9× |
| ii7 | Am7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E · G | 5× |
| iii7 | Bm7 | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# · A | 3× |
| V7/vi | B7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# · A | 1× |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 4× |
| V7 | D7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A · C | 4× |
| V | D/C | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 4× |
| v7 | Dm7/G | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F · A · C | 1× |
| vi7 | Em7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B · D | 5× |
| bVIImaj7 | Fmaj7/G | bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord | F · A · C · E | 1× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Em7 | Tonic — home | E · G · B · D | 5× |
| bIImaj7 | Fmaj7/G | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | F · A · C · E | 1× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| IIImaj7 | Gmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D · F# | 12× |
| III | G/B | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 3× |
| V7/VI | G7 | Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Csecondary dominant | G · B · D · F | 3× |
| iv7 | Am7/D | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E · G | 9× |
| iv7 | Am7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E · G | 5× |
| v7 | Bm7 | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# · A | 3× |
| V7 | B7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# · A | 1× |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 4× |
| VII7 | D7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A · C | 4× |
| VII | D/C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 4× |
| vii7 | Dm7/G | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F · A · C | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 13 different chords appear 55 times in total; 9 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Em brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from G, the same B7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Em. G7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. Fmaj7/G is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- D7 Gmaj7 GV7 → Imaj7authentic cadence EmVII7 → IIImaj7 ×4
- Am7 D7 Gii7 → V7ii → V Emiv7 → VII7 ×4
- C D/C GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×4
- G7 C GV7/IV → IVsecondary resolution EmV7/VI → VI ×2
- B7 Em7 GV7/vi → vi7secondary resolution EmV7 → i7harmonic-minor cadence ×1
- Fmaj7/G G7 GbVIImaj7 → V7/IVbVII → I EmbIImaj7 → V7/VI ×1
The move to watch is D7 → Gmaj7, heard 4 times. From the Em side it is VII7 → IIImaj7; from the G side it reads V7 → Imaj7 (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over Gmaj7, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am7/D, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Em7, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When B7 comes, swap the scale's D for D#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
- On Fmaj7/G, follow the chord's notes (F · A · C · E) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Em7, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is Gmaj7, Am7/D, Em7, Am7 — Imaj7–ii7–vi7–ii7 from the G side, IIImaj7–iv7–i7–iv7 from the Em side. G7 is the interesting twist: in G it is a chromatic chord (V7/IV), while in Em it becomes the dominant (V7/VI) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on D7 → Gmaj7 (V7 → Imaj7 in G, VII7 → IIImaj7 in Em): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on Am7/D, letting the G 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.
Whitney Houston - I Say A Little Prayer 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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