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)
Black - Wonderful Life - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords Em, G, Am, D Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Em G
Em G
Here I go out to sea again
Em
The sunshine fills my hair
G
and dreams hang in the air
Em G
Gulls in the sky and in my blue eyes
Em
You know it feels unfair
G
There's magic everywhere
Em Am
Look at me standing
Em Am
Here on my own again
Em G Am
Up straight in the sunshine
Em G
No need to run and hide
G Am D
It's a wonderful, wonderful life
Em G
No need to laugh and cry
G Am D
It's a wonderful, wonderful life
Em
The sun's in your eyes,
G
the heat is in your hair
Em
They seem to hate you
G
Because you're there
Em G
And I need a friend, oh I need a friend
Em
to make me happy
G
Not stand there on my own
Em Am
Look at me standing
Em Am
Here on my own again
Em G Am
Up straight in the sunshine
Em G
No need to run and hide
G Am D
It's a wonderful, wonderful life
Em G
No need to laugh and cry
G Am D
It's a wonderful, wonderful life
Em G
I need a friend, oh I need a friend
Em
to make me happy
G
Not so alone
Em Am
Look at me standing
Em Am
Here on my own again
Em G Am
Up straight in the sunshine
Em G
No need to run and hide
G Am D
It's a wonderful, wonderful life
Em G
No need to laugh and cry
G Am D
It's a wonderful, wonderful life
End of song Play again?
Black - Wonderful Life Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Black – Wonderful Life: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em and ends on D. 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 E minor side because it opens on Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from G 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 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 | 26× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 15× |
| 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 | — |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 6× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 26× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 26× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 26× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 15× |
| 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 | — |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 6× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 4 different chords appear 73 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
- Am Em Gii → vi Emiv → iminor plagal ×9
- Am D Gii → Vii → V Emiv → VII ×6
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×5
The move to watch is Am → Em, heard 9 times. From the Em side it is iv → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the G side it reads ii → vi. 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 Em, land on E, G, B — 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 Am, land on A, C, E — 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 Em, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. Em, G, Am, D carry the song: vi–I–ii–V relative to G, i–III–iv–VII relative to Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Am → Em (ii → vi in G, iv → i in Em): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. It closes on D, letting the G 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.
Black - Wonderful Life 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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