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)
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords Bb, Eb, F Easy key C (capo 1)
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Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
Bb
Way down in Louisiana down to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
Eb
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Bb
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode
F
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
Bb
But he could play a guitar just like he's ringin' a bell
Bb
Go Go
Bb
Go Johnny Go Go
Eb
Go Johnny Go Go Go
Bb
Go Johnny Go Go
F
Go Johnny Go Go Go
Bb
Johnny B. Goode
Nakarat Tab
Chorus Tab
e|---------------------|
B|-/9--9--9--11~\------|
G|-/10-10-10-10~\------|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|
E|---------------------|
Bb
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
And sit beneath the trees by the railroad track
Eb
The engineers would see him sittin' in the shade
Bb
Strummin' to the rhythm that the driver made
F
When people passed him by they would stop and say
Bb
Oh my that little country boy sure can play
End of song Play again?
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bb and ends on Bb. 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)
- #7 = A (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 Bb minor side because the major V chord points straight at Bbm. 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 | Db | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab | — |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| II | Eb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · G · Bb | 3× |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | — |
| V/vi | F | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bbmsecondary dominant | F · A · C | 3× |
| IV | Gb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · Bb · Db | — |
| V | Ab | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb | — |
| vi | Bbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V/ii | Bb | Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Ebmsecondary dominant | Bb · D · F | 10× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Tonic — home | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V/iv | Bb | Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Ebmsecondary dominant | Bb · D · F | 10× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | Db | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab | — |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| IV | Eb | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Eb · G · Bb | 3× |
| 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 | 3× |
| VI | Gb | Submediant — warm colour | Gb · Bb · Db | — |
| VII | Ab | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb | — |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 3 different chords appear 16 times in total; 0 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Bbm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from Db, the same F is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Bbm. Bb acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
There's no textbook cadence here; the chords circle around each other in a loop, so the song feels more like a groove than a series of arrivals.
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 Bb, land on Bb, D, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Eb, land on Eb, G, Bb — 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.
- When F comes, swap the scale's Ab for A: 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 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
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Bb, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. Bb, Eb, F carry the song: V/ii–II–V/vi relative to Db, V/iv–IV–V relative to Bbm. Bb is the interesting twist: in Db it is a chromatic chord (V/ii), while in Bbm it becomes the dominant (V/iv) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Ending on Bb, the song seals Db as home. The lyric sheet marks 2 section types, so the same chord pattern returns in a clear, predictable order.
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.
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode 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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