Major view
Db major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Gb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Mariah Carey - Against all Oods - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords Ebm, Ab, Bbm, Gb, Db, Ab7, Eb, Cm … Easy key G (capo 6)
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Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
Ebm Ab Ebm Ab
Bbm Cm
How can I just let you walk away,
Db Ebm
just let you leave without a trace,
Gb Ab Fm Bbm
when I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh.
Ebm Gb Ab
You're the only one who really knew me at all.
Bbm Cm
How can you just walk away from me,
Db Ebm
when all I can do is watch you leave,
Gb Ab
'cause we've shared the laughter and the pain,
Fm Bbm
and even shared the tears.
Ebm Gb Ab Ab7
You're the only one who really knew me at all.
Db Eb
So take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space,
Bbm Gb
and there's nothing left here to remind me,
Ebm Ab
just the memory of your face.
Ab7 Db Eb
oh, take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space,
Bbm Gb
and you coming back to me is against the odds,
Ebm Ab Ab7
and that's what I've got to face.
Bbm Cm
I wish I could just make you turn around,
Db Ebm
turn around and see me cry,
Gb Ab
there's so much I need to say to you,
Fm Bbm
so many reasons why.
Ebm Gb Ab Ab7
You're the only one who really knew me at all.
Db Eb
So take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space,
Bbm Gb
and there's nothing left here to remind me,
Ebm Ab
just the memory of your face.
Ab7 Db Eb
Now, take a look at me now, 'cause there's just an empty space,
Bbm Gb
but to wait for you, well that's all I can do,
Ebm Ab
and that's what I've got to face.
Ab7 Db Eb
Take a good look at me now, 'cause I'll still be standing here,
Bbm Gb
and you coming back to me is against all odds,
Ebm Ab Ab7 Ebm Ab Ebm Ab
it's the chance I've got to take.
Ab7 Ebm Ab
Take a look at me now
End of song Play again?
Mariah Carey - Against all Oods Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Mariah Carey – Against all Oods: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Ebm and ends on Ab. Its chords belong to both Db major and Bbm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Bb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Gb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Ab (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Bb minor side because Bbm is heard 11 times against 8 for Db. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Db 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 Db or to Bbm; 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 | Db | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab | 8× |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | 16× |
| V/V | Eb | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Absecondary dominant | Eb · G · Bb | 5× |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | 3× |
| V/vi | F | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bbmsecondary dominant | F · A · C | — |
| IV | Gb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · Bb · Db | 11× |
| V | Ab | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb | 16× |
| V7 | Ab7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb · Gb | 8× |
| vi | Bbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Bb · Db · F | 11× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| vii | Cm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · Eb · G | 3× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Tonic — home | Bb · Db · F | 11× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| ii | Cm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · Eb · G | 3× |
| III | Db | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab | 8× |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | 16× |
| IV | Eb | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Eb · G · Bb | 5× |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | 3× |
| V | F | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C | — |
| VI | Gb | Submediant — warm colour | Gb · Bb · Db | 11× |
| VII | Ab | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb | 16× |
| VII7 | Ab7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb · Gb | 8× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 9 different chords appear 81 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Eb acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Ebm Ab Dbii → Vii → V Bbmiv → VII ×10
- Gb Ab DbIV → VIV → V BbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
- Ab7 Db DbV7 → Iauthentic cadence BbmVII7 → III ×5
- Fm Bbm Dbiii → vi Bbmv → inatural-minor cadence ×3
- Ab Bbm DbV → videceptive cadence BbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×2
- Ab7 Bbm DbV7 → videceptive cadence BbmVII7 → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is Ebm → Ab, heard 10 times. From the Bbm side it is iv → VII; from the Db side it reads ii → V (ii → V: the classic preparation of the dominant). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Db major pentatonic and Bb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Db – Eb – F – Ab – Bb): start from Db for a brighter phrase, from Bb for a bluesier one.
- Over Ebm, land on Eb, Gb, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bbm, land on Bb, Db, F — 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 Db major shapes
- Capo 1 + C shapes
- Capo 4 + A shapes
- Capo 6 + G shapes
With Bb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Am shapes
- Capo 6 + Em 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 opening Ebm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Ebm, Ab, Bbm, Gb; read them as ii–V–vi–IV in Db or iv–VII–i–VI in Bbm. Eb adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to Ab. Keep an ear on Ebm → Ab (ii → V in Db, iv → VII in Bbm): ii → V — the classic preparation of the dominant. Ending on Ab, the song seals Db 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.
Mariah Carey - Against all Oods 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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