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)
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, C, D, Em, Am, C9, G/B Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G Em
Come gather 'round people
C G
Wherever you roam
Em
And admit that the waters
C D
Around you have grown
G Em
And accept it that soon
C G
You'll be drenched to the bone
Am
If your time to you
D
Is worth savin'
C9
Then you better start swimmin'
G/B D
Or you'll sink like a stone
G C D G
For the times they are a changin'
G Em C G
G Em
Come writers and critics
C G
Who prophesize with your pen
Em
And keep your eyes wide
C D
The chance won't come again
G Em
And don't speak too soon
C G
For the wheel's still in spin
Am
And there's no tellin' who
D
That it's namin'
C9
For the loser now
G/B D
Will be later to win
G C D G
For the times they are a changin'
G Em
Come senators, congressmen
C G
Please heed the call
Em
Don't stand in the doorway
C D
Don't block up the hall
G Em
For he that gets hurt
C G
Will be he who has stalled
Am
The a battle outside
D
Ragin'
C9
Were seen shake your windows
G/B D
And rattle your walls
G C D G
For the times they are a changin'
G D C D G
G Em
Come mothers and fathers
C G
Throughout the land
Em
And don't criticize
C D
What you can't understand
G Em
Your sons and your daughters
C G
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Am D
Rapidly agin'
C9
Please get out of the new one
G/B D
If you can't lend your hand
G C D G
For the times they are a changin'
G Em
The line it is drawn
C G
The curse it is cast
Em
The slow one now
C D
Will later be fast
G Em
As the present now
C G
Will later be past
The order is
Am D
Rapidly fadin'
C9
And the first one now
G/B D
Will later be last
G C D G
For the times they are a changin'
G Em C G
End of song Play again?
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin': key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on G. 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 both starts and finishes on G and G is heard 41 times against 17 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 | 36× |
| I | G/B | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 5× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 5× |
| 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 | 23× |
| IV7 | C9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G · Bb · D | 5× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 22× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 17× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 17× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 36× |
| III | G/B | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 5× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 5× |
| 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 | 23× |
| VI7 | C9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G · Bb · D | 5× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 22× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 7 different chords appear 113 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. C9 step outside the scale as colour chords.
Chord movement
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×16
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×12
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×11
- C9 G/B GIV7 → Iplagal cadence EmVI7 → III ×5
- Am D Gii → Vii → V Emiv → VII ×5
The move to watch is D → G, heard 16 times. From the G side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Em side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
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 G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — 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 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
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
Starting on G, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. G, C, D, Em carry the song: I–IV–V–vi relative to G, III–VI–VII–i relative to Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on D → G (V → I in G, VII → III in Em): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. Ending on G, the song seals G 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.
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' 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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