Major view
Eb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Ab (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Justin Timberlake - Say Something - Chord
Key Eb major – C minor Chords Bb, Cm, Eb, F, G#, Bb/B Easy key G
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Key: Eb | Cm
Capo: 0
Cm Eb Bb F
Oh, yeah
Alright, ooh
Cm
Everyone knows
Eb Bb
All about my direction
F
And in my heart somewhere
Cm
I wanna go there
Eb
(But) still I don't go there
Bb
Everybody says "say something"
F
Say something, say something, say something
Cm Eb
(Let's) say something, say something
Bb F
I don't wanna get caught up in the rhythm of it
Cm
But I can't help myself, no
Eb Bb
I can't help myself, no, no
F
Caught up in the middle of it
Cm
No I can't help myself
Eb Bb
No I can't help myself, no, no, no
F
Caught up in the rhythm of it
Cm Eb
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
Bb F
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
Cm
Everyone knows all
Eb Bb
About my transgressions
F
Still in my heart somewhere
Cm Eb
Is melody and harmony
Bb F
For you and me, tonight oh
Cm Eb
I hear them call my name
Bb
Everybody says "say something"
F
Say something, say something, say something
Cm Eb
(Let's) say something, say something
Bb F
I don't wanna get caught up in the middle of it
Cm
But I can't help myself,
Eb Bb
No, I can't help myself, no, no
F
Caught up in the rhythm of it
Cm
No I can't help myself
Eb Bb
No I can't help myself, no, no, no
F
Caught up in the rhythm of it
Cm
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
Eb
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Bb
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
F
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Cm
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
Eb
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Bb
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
F
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Cm Eb
Bb F
Sometimes the greatest way to say something
G# Bb Cm
Is to say nothing at all
Eb Bb F
Sometimes the greatest way to say something
G# Bb Cm
Is to say nothing at all
Eb Bb F
Sometimes the greatest way to say something
Is to say nothing
Cm
But I can't help myself
Eb Bb
No, I can't help myself, no, no
F
Caught up in the rhythm of it
Cm
No I can't help myself
Eb Bb
No, I can't help myself, no, no, no
F
Caught up in the rhythm of it
Cm
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
Bb/B Eb
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Bb
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
F
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
G#
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
Bb Cm
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Eb Bb
Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have
F
(Maybe I'm looking for something that I can't have)
Cm Eb
Bb F
Sometimes the greatest way to say something
Cm Bb/B Eb
Is to say nothing at all
Bb F
Sometimes the greatest way to say something
Cm Bb/B Eb
Is to say nothing at all
Bb F
Sometimes the greatest way to say something
Is to say nothing
End of song Play again?
Justin Timberlake - Say Something Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Justin Timberlake – Say Something: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Cm and ends on F. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C minor side because it opens on Cm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Eb 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 Eb or to Cm; 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 | Eb | Tonic — home | Eb · G · Bb | 25× |
| ii | Fm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · C | — |
| V/V | F | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bbsecondary dominant | F · A · C | 25× |
| iii | Gm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G · Bb · D | — |
| V/vi | G | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant | G · B · D | — |
| IV | G# | Subdominant — moves away from home | G# · B# · D# | 3× |
| V | Bb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Bb · D · F | 28× |
| V | Bb/B | Dominant — strongest pull home | Bb · D · F | 3× |
| vi | Cm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C · Eb · G | 25× |
| vii° | Ddim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D · F · Ab | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Tonic — home | C · Eb · G | 25× |
| ii° | Ddim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · Ab | — |
| III | Eb | Relative major — the bright side | Eb · G · Bb | 25× |
| iv | Fm | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · Ab · C | — |
| IV | F | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | F · A · C | 25× |
| v | Gm | Minor dominant — soft pull | G · Bb · D | — |
| V | G | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G · B · D | — |
| VI | G# | Submediant — warm colour | G# · B# · D# | 3× |
| VII | Bb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Bb · D · F | 28× |
| VII | Bb/B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Bb · D · F | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 6 different chords appear 109 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. F acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Bb/B Eb EbV → Iauthentic cadence CmVII → III ×3
- Bb Cm EbV → videceptive cadence CmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3
- G# Bb EbIV → VIV → V CmVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
The move to watch is Bb/B → Eb, heard 3 times. From the Cm side it is VII → III; from the Eb side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Eb major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Eb – F – G – Bb – C): start from Eb for a brighter phrase, from C for a bluesier one.
- Over Bb, land on Bb, D, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Cm, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Eb, land on Eb, G, Bb — 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 Eb major shapes
- Capo 1 + D shapes
- Capo 3 + C shapes
- Capo 6 + A shapes
With C minor shapes
- Capo 3 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 4 semitones up
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Cm; the ear learns where home is within a second. Bb, Cm, Eb, F carry the song: V–vi–I–V/V relative to Eb, VII–i–III–IV relative to Cm. F adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bb. Keep an ear on Bb/B → Eb (V → I in Eb, VII → III in Cm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is F; the ear comes to rest in Eb.
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.
Justin Timberlake - Say Something 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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