Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice It's All Right - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords C/G, G7, Am, C, F, D7/F#, G, C7 Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C/G G7 Am C
Well it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
F C/G G7
If you don't know by now
C/G G7 Am C
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
D7/F# G G7
It'll never do somehow
C/G C7
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
F D7/F#
Look out your window and I'll be gone
C/G G7 Am C F
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
C/G G7 C/G
But don't think twice, it's all right
C/G G7 Am C F C/G G7
C/G G7 Am C
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
F C/G G7
The light I never knowed
C/G G7 Am C
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
D7/F# G G7
I'm on the dark side of the road
C/G C7
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
F D7/F#
To try and make me change my mind and stay
C/G G7 Am C F
We never did too much talkin' anyway
C/G G7 C/G
But don't think twice, it's all right
C/G G7 Am C F C/G G7
C/G G7 Am C
So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
F C/G G7
Like you never done before
C/G G7 Am C
An' it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
D7/F# G G7
I can't hear you any more
C/G C7
I'm a thinkin' and a wonderin' walkin' down the road
F D7/F#
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
C/G G7 Am C F
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
C/G G7 C/G
But don't think twice, it's all right
C/G G7 Am C F C/G G7
C/G G7 Am C
So long honey babe
F C/G G7
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
C/G G7 Am C
Goodbye's too good a word, babe
D7/F# G G7
So I just say fare thee well
C/G C7
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
F D7/F#
You could have done better but I don't mind
C/G G7 Am C F
You just kinda wasted my precious time
C/G G7 C/G
But don't think twice, it's all right
End of song Play again?
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice It's All Right Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Bob Dylan – Don't Think Twice It's All Right: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C/G and ends on C/G. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because it both starts and finishes on C and C is heard 53 times against 15 for Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; 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 | C/G | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 34× |
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 15× |
| V7/IV | C7 | Secondary dominant V/IV — leads to Fsecondary dominant | C · E · G · Bb | 4× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| V7/V | D7/F# | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Gsecondary dominant | D · F# · A · C | 8× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 15× |
| V7 | G7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D · F | 30× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 4× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 15× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 15× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C/G | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 34× |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 15× |
| V7/VI | C7 | Secondary dominant V/VI — leads to Fsecondary dominant | C · E · G · Bb | 4× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| IV7 | D7/F# | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | D · F# · A · C | 8× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 15× |
| VII7 | G7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D · F | 30× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 4× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 8 different chords appear 125 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D7/F#, C7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- G7 C/G CV7 → Iauthentic cadence AmVII7 → III ×15
- G7 Am CV7 → videceptive cadence AmVII7 → iAeolian arrival ×15
- F C/G CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×11
- D7/F# G CV7/V → Vsecondary resolution AmIV7 → VII ×4
- C7 F CV7/IV → IVsecondary resolution AmV7/VI → VI ×4
The move to watch is G7 → C/G, heard 15 times. From the C side it reads V7 → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Am side it is VII7 → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over C/G, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G7, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening C/G lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are C/G, G7, Am, C; read them as I–V7–vi–I in C or III–VII7–i–III in Am. D7/F# adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to G. Keep an ear on G7 → C/G (V7 → I in C, VII7 → III in Am): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is C/G; the ear comes to rest in C.
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.
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice It's All Right 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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