Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Justin Timberlake - True Colors - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords E, A/C, Dbm, B6, B, B4/B, A9, Ab Easy key G
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
Dbm B4/B E A9
Dbm B6
Your with the sad eyes
E A/C
Don't be discouraged
Dbm B6
Oh I realize
E A/C
It's hard to take courage
Dbm B6
In a world full of people
E A/C
You can lose sight of it all
Dbm B6
And the darkness, inside you
A/C E
Can make you feel so small
Dbm B4/B E A9
Dbm B6
Show me a smile then
E A/C Dbm
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
B6 E A/C
When I last saw you laughing
Dbm B6
If this world makes you crazy
E A/C
And you've taken all you can bear
Dbm B6
Just you call me up
A/C E
'Cause I will always be there
A/C E
And I see your true colors
B6
Shining through
A/C E
I see your true colors
A/C B
And that's why I love you
A/C E Ab Dbm
So don't be afraid to let them show
A/C E
Your true colors
A/C E B
True colors are beautiful
A/C E
I see your true colors
B6
Shining through (true colors)
A/C E
I see your true colors
A/C B
And that's why I love you
A/C E Ab Dbm
So don't be afraid to let them show
A/C E
Your true colors (true colors)
A/C E B
True colors are beautiful
Dbm B4/B E A9
Like a rainbow
Dbm B4/B E A9
Ooh ooh ooh like a rainbow
Dbm
Can't remember
B6 E A/C
When I last saw you laughing
Dbm B6
If this world makes you crazy
E A/C
And you've taken all you can bear
Dbm B6
Just you call me up
A/C E
'Cause I will always be there
A/C E
And I see your true colors
B6
Shining through
A/C E
I see your true colors
A/C B
And that's why I love you
A/C E Ab Dbm
So don't be afraid to let them show
A/C E
Your true colors
A/C E B
True colors are beautiful
A/C E
I see your true colors
B6
Shining through (true colors)
A/C E
I see your true colors
A/C B
And that's why I love you
A/C E Ab Dbm
So don't be afraid to let them show
A/C E
Your true colors (true colors)
A/C E B
True colors are beautiful
Dbm B4/B E A9
Like a rainbow
Dbm B4/B E A9
Ooh ooh ooh like a rainbow
End of song Play again?
Justin Timberlake - True Colors Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Justin Timberlake – True Colors: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dbm and ends on A9. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = B# (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 C# minor side because it opens on C#m, E is heard 37 times against 21 for C#m and the major V chord points straight at C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from E 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 E or to C#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 | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 37× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | — |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | — |
| V/vi | Ab | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant | Ab · C · Eb | 4× |
| IV | A/C | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 35× |
| IV7 | A9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | A · C# · E · G · B | 6× |
| V6 | B6 | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# · G# | 15× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 8× |
| V | B4/B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 6× |
| vi | Dbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Db · Fb · Ab | 21× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dbm | Tonic — home | Db · Fb · Ab | 21× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 37× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | — |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | — |
| V | Ab | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | Ab · C · Eb | 4× |
| VI | A/C | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 35× |
| VI7 | A9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | A · C# · E · G · B | 6× |
| VII6 | B6 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# · G# | 15× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 8× |
| VII | B4/B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 6× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 8 different chords appear 132 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of C#m brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from E, the same Ab is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for C#m. A9 step outside the scale as colour chords.
Chord movement
- A/C E EIV → Iplagal cadence C#mVI → III ×23
- B6 E EV6 → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII6 → III ×8
- A/C Dbm EIV → vi C#mVI → iVI → i ×8
- B4/B E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×6
- A9 Dbm EIV7 → vi C#mVI7 → iVI → i ×5
- Ab Dbm EV/vi → vi C#mV → iharmonic-minor cadence ×4
The move to watch is A/C → E, heard 23 times. From the C#m side it is VI → III; from the E side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A/C, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dbm, land on Db, Fb, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When Ab comes, swap the scale's B for B#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
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 E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 3 semitones up
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Dbm; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are E, A/C, Dbm, B6; read them as I–IV–vi–V6 in E or III–VI–i–VII6 in C#m. A9 is the interesting twist: in E it is a chromatic chord (IV7), while in C#m it becomes the dominant (VI7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on A/C → E (IV → I in E, VI → III in C#m): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is A9; the ear comes to rest in E.
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 - True Colors 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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