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)
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords Eb, G, Em, Bbmaj7, Am, Ab, Gb, Ebmaj7 … Easy key C# (capo 6)
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G Em Bbmaj7
This could be the day that we push through
Am Eb Ab G
It could be the day that all our dreams come true
Em Bbmaj7
For me and you
Am Eb Ab Gb
Til we're at the end of just another day
G Em Bbmaj7
Are you too terrified to try your best
Am Eb Ab G
Just to end up with an educated guess
Am Eb Ab
Like those times you wake up mystified
G Em Bbmaj7
Oh, it feels so real in my sleep
Am Eb Ab G
never had something so close I couldn't keep
Em Bbmaj7
Into the day, the strangest feeling
Am Eb Ab
Do you really live without the fear
Gb Eb
Everything is changin'
Ebmaj7 Gb Eb
And there's nothing I can do
Gb Eb
My world is turning pages
Ebmaj7 Gb
While I am just sitting here
G
Well
Em Bbmaj7
Am I getting closer
Am Eb
Will I ever get there
Ab G
Does it even matter
Em Bbmaj7
Do I really need it
Am Eb
Push it out the window
Ab G
On and on we all go.
Em Bbmaj7
Did I ever want it
C Eb
Does it really matter
Ab G
It was only yesterday
Em Bbmaj7
Didn't even know you
Am Eb
Now I'm gonna miss you
Gb Eb
Nothing ever changes
Gb Eb Ebmaj7
No matter how long you do your hair
Db
Looks the same to everyone else
Gb Eb
Everything is changin'
Gb Eb Ebmaj7
I guess I should warn my mom
Db
But she'll just be excited
End of song Play again?
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Tame Impala – Apocalypse Dreams: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on Db. 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)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because it opens on G and G is heard 10 times against 9 for Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 10× |
| bII | Ab | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | Ab · C · Eb | 9× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 9× |
| bIIImaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | Bb · D · F · A | 9× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 1× |
| #IV | Db | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Db · F · Ab | 2× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | — |
| bVI | Eb | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | Eb · G · Bb | 17× |
| bVImaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | Eb · G · Bb · D | 4× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 9× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| VII | Gb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Gb · Bb · Db | 9× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 9× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| II | Gb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Gb · Bb · Db | 9× |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 10× |
| #III | Ab | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Ab · C · Eb | 9× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 9× |
| #IVmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Bb · D · F · A | 9× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 1× |
| #VI | Db | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Db · F · Ab | 2× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | — |
| #VII | Eb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · G · Bb | 17× |
| #VIImaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · G · Bb · D | 4× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 10 different chords appear 79 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Eb, Bbmaj7, Ab, Ebmaj7 are borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
There's no textbook cadence here; the chords circle around each other in a loop, so the song feels more like a groove than a series of arrivals.
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 Eb, land on Eb, G, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On Eb, follow the chord's notes (Eb · G · Bb) 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
- 6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is G; the ear learns where home is within a second. Eb, G, Em, Bbmaj7 carry the song: bVI–I–vi–bIIImaj7 relative to G, #VII–III–i–#IVmaj7 relative to Em. Eb briefly darkens the picture: borrowed from the parallel minor. The final chord is Db; the ear comes to rest in G.
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.
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams 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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