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)
Ed Sheeran - I See Fire - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords A#m, F#, G#, D#m7, C#, Fm, F#maj7 Easy key G (capo 6)
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Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
Oh, misty eye of the mountain below
Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls
And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
A#m
Keep watching over Durin's sons
A#m C#
If this is to end in fire
G# F#
Then we should all burn together
A#m C# G# D#m7
Watch the flames climb high into the night
A#m C# G# F#
Calling out father, oh, stand by and we will
D#m7 Fm F#
Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side
A#m C#
And if we should die tonight
G# F#
Then we should all die together
A#m C# G# D#m7
Raise a glass of wine for the last time
A#m C# G# F#
Calling out father, oh, prepare as we will
D#m7 Fm F#
Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side
D#m7 Fm F#
Desolation comes upon the sky
A#m F# G# A#m
Now I see fire, inside the mountain
A#m F# G# A#m
I see fire, burning the trees
A#m F# G# A#m
And I see fire, hollowing souls
A#m F# G# D#m7
I see fire, blood in the breeze
And I hope that you'll remember me
A#m C#
Oh, should my people fall
G# F#
Then surely I'll do the same
A#m C#
Confined in mountain halls
G# D#m7
We got too close to the flame
A#m C# G# F#
Calling out father, oh, hold fast and we will
D#m7 Fm F#
Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side
D#m7 Fm F#
Desolation comes upon the sky
A#m F# G# A#m
Now I see fire, inside the mountain
A#m F# G# A#m
I see fire, burning the trees
A#m F# G# A#m
And I see fire, hollowing souls
A#m F# G# D#m7
I see fire, blood in the breeze
D#m7
And I hope that you'll remember me
D#m7 A#m
And if the night is burning
G# F#
I will cover my eyes
D#m7 A#m
For if the dark returns then
G# F#maj7
My brothers will die
D#m7 A#m
And as the sky is falling down
G# F#
It crashed into this lonely town
D#m7
And with that shadow upon the ground
Fm F# G#
I hear my people screaming out
A#m F# G# A#m
Now I see fire, inside the mountain
A#m F# G# A#m
I see fire, burning the trees
A#m F# G# A#m
And I see fire, hollowing souls
A#m F# G# A#m
I see fire, blood in the breeze
A#m F# G# A#m
I see fire, oh you know I saw a city burning (fire)
A#m F# G# A#m
I see fire, feel the heat upon my skin (fire)
A#m F# G# A#m
And I see fire, oooooo
A#m F# G# A#m
And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side
End of song Play again?
Ed Sheeran - I See Fire Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Ed Sheeran – I See Fire: key and chord analysis
The song opens on A#m and ends on A#m. 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 it both starts and finishes on Bbm and Bbm is heard 43 times against 9 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 | C# | Tonic — home | C# · E# · G# | 9× |
| ii7 | D#m7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A# · C# | 15× |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | 6× |
| V/vi | F | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to A#msecondary dominant | F · A · C | — |
| IV | F# | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A# · C# | 30× |
| IVmaj7 | F#maj7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A# · C# · E# | 1× |
| V | G# | Dominant — strongest pull home | G# · B# · D# | 29× |
| vi | A#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A# · C# · E# | 43× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | A#m | Tonic — home | A# · C# · E# | 43× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | C# | Relative major — the bright side | C# · E# · G# | 9× |
| iv7 | D#m7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | D# · F# · A# · C# | 15× |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | 6× |
| V | F | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C | — |
| VI | F# | Submediant — warm colour | F# · A# · C# | 30× |
| VImaj7 | F#maj7 | Submediant — warm colour | F# · A# · C# · E# | 1× |
| VII | G# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G# · B# · D# | 29× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 7 different chords appear 133 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- F# G# DbIV → VIV → V BbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×17
- G# A#m DbV → videceptive cadence BbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×15
- D#m7 A#m Dbii7 → vi Bbmiv7 → iminor plagal ×7
- F# A#m DbIV → vi BbmVI → iVI → i ×6
The move to watch is F# → G#, heard 17 times. From the Bbm side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic); from the Db side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home). 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 A#m, land on A#, C#, E# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F#, land on F#, A#, C# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G#, land on G#, B#, D# — 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 A#m lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is A#m, F#, G#, D#m7 — vi–IV–V–ii7 from the Db side, i–VI–VII–iv7 from the Bbm side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F# → G# (IV → V in Db, VI → VII in Bbm): VI → VII — the rising step that heads for the tonic. It closes on A#m, letting the Bbm side have the last word.
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.
Ed Sheeran - I See Fire 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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