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)
Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords F#, G#, C#, A#m Easy key G (capo 6)
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Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
C# G# F#
Somebody said you got a new friend
C# G# F#
Does she love you better than I can?
C# G# F#
Big black sky over my town
C# G# F#
I know where you at, I bet she's around
A#m G# F#
Yeah, I know it's stupid
F# C#
I just gotta see it for myself
C# G# F#
I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh
C# G# F#
I'm right over here, why can't you see me, oh
A#m G# F#
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the guy your taking home, ooohh
A#m G# F#
I keep dancing on my own
C# G# F#
I'm just gonna dance all night
C# G# F#
I'm all messed up, I'm so outta line
A#m G# F#
Stilettos and broken bottles,
F# C#
I'm spinnin' around in circles
C# G# F#
I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh
C# G# F#
I'm right over here, why can't you see me, oh
A#m G# F#
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the guy your taking home, ooohh
A#m G# F#
I keep dancing on my own
F# G# A#m G# F#
So far away but still so near
F# G# A#m G# C#
But you don't see me standing here
C# A#m
I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh..
A#m G# F#
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the guy your taking home, ooohh..
A#m G# F#
I keep dancing on my own
C# G# F#
I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh no
C# G# F#
I'm right over here, why can't you see me, oh no
C# G# F#
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the guy your taking home, ooohh
C# G# F#
I keep dancing on my own
C# G# F# A#m
So far away but still so near
A#m G# F#
But you don't see me standing here
End of song Play again?
Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Calum Scott – Dancing On My Own: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C# and ends on F#. 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 Db major side because it opens on Db and Db is heard 19 times against 13 for Bbm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from Bb minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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# | 19× |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | — |
| 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# | 29× |
| V | G# | Dominant — strongest pull home | G# · B# · D# | 28× |
| vi | A#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A# · C# · E# | 13× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | A#m | Tonic — home | A# · C# · E# | 13× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | C# | Relative major — the bright side | C# · E# · G# | 19× |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | — |
| V | F | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C | — |
| VI | F# | Submediant — warm colour | F# · A# · C# | 29× |
| VII | G# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G# · B# · D# | 28× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 4 different chords appear 89 times in total; 4 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# C# DbIV → Iplagal cadence BbmVI → III ×14
- F# A#m DbIV → vi BbmVI → iVI → i ×8
- G# A#m DbV → videceptive cadence BbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×2
- F# G# DbIV → VIV → V BbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×2
- G# C# DbV → Iauthentic cadence BbmVII → III ×1
The move to watch is F# → C#, heard 14 times. From the Db side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Bbm side it is VI → III. 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 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.
- Over C#, land on C#, E#, G# — 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 up
The song's harmonic story
The opening C# lays a solid floor for everything that follows. F#, G#, C#, A#m carry the song: IV–V–I–vi relative to Db, VI–VII–III–i relative to Bbm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F# → C# (IV → I in Db, VI → III in Bbm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is F#; the ear comes to rest in Db.
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.
Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own 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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