Beatles - Let It Be - Chord

Key C major – A minor Chords C, F, G, Am, Dm, D, Em Easy key G (capo 5)

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Capo 0

C  G  Am  F  C  G
F  C  Dm  C

       C              G                 Am          F
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
C                 G              F  C  Dm  C
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

    C             G                Am                F
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me
C                 G              F  C  Dm  C
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

C      Am         G          F          C
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

    C               G               Am            F
And when the broken hearted people, living in the world agree
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
There will be an answer, let it be

    C                  G                Am                  F
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
There will be an answer, let it be

C      Am         G          F          C
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
There will be an answer, let it be
C      Am         G          F          C
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be


C  G  Am  F  C  G
F  C  Dm  C


C      Am         G          F          C
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

    C                 G                Am                 F
And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me
C                 G            F  C  Dm  C
Shine on till tomorrow, let it be

  C              G               Am          F
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
C                 G              F  C  D  C
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

C      Am         G          F          C
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C                G              F  C  Dm  C
There will be an answer, let it be

C      Am         G          F          C
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C                G              F  C  Dm  C   F  Em  Dm  C
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

End of song Play again?

Beatles - Let It Be Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Beatles – Let It Be: key and chord analysis

The song opens on C and ends on C. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.

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)

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 63 times against 14 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.

Seen from C major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	C	Tonic — home	C · E · G	63×
ii	Dm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A	14×
V/V	D	Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Gsecondary dominant	D · F# · A	1×
iii	Em	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B	1×
V/vi	E	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B	—
IV	F	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	29×
V	G	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	28×
vi	Am	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E	14×
vii°	Bdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	B · D · F	—

Seen from A minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Am	Tonic — home	A · C · E	14×
ii°	Bdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F	—
III	C	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G	63×
iv	Dm	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A	14×
IV	D	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	D · F# · A	1×
v	Em	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B	1×
V	E	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B	—
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 C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 7 different chords appear 150 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×28
G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×8

The move to watch is F → C, heard 28 times. From the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Am side it is VI → 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, land on C, E, G — 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 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
2 semitones up

The song's harmonic story

Starting on C, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are C, F, G, Am; read them as I–IV–V–vi in C or III–VI–VII–i in Am. D adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to G. Keep an ear on F → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. It closes on C, letting the C 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.

Beatles - Let It Be 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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