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)
Bob Seger - Turn The Page - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords Em, D, A, C Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Em
On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha
D
You can listen to the engine moanin' out it's one lone song
A Em
You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before
Em
But your thoughts will soon be wandering the way they always do
D
When you're riding sixteen hours and there's nothing much to do
A Em
And you don't feel much like riding, you just wish the trip was through
Em D Em
Say, here I am, on the road again
D Em
There I am, up on the stage
D A
Here I go, playing star again
C D Em
There I go, turn the page, ah
Em
Well, you walk into a restaurant, strung out from the road
D
And you feel the eyes upon you as you're shaking off the cold
A Em
You pretend it doesn't bother you but you just want to explode
Em
Most times you can't hear 'em talk, other times you can
D
All the same old clichés: "Is that a woman or a man?"
A Em
And you always seem outnumbered, you don't dare make a stand
Em D Em
Here I am, on the road again
D Em
There I am, up on the stage
D A
Here I go, playing star again
C D Em
There I go, turn the page, ah
Em
Out there in the spotlight you're a million miles away
D
Every ounce of energy you try to give away
A Em
As the sweat pours out your body like the music that you play
Em
Later in the evening as you lie awake in bed
D
With the echoes from the amplifiers ringin' in your head
A Em
You smoke the day's last cigarette, remembering what she said
Em D Em
Ah, here I am, on the road again
D Em
There I am, up on the stage
D A
Here I go, playing star again
C D Em
There I go, turn the page
Em D Em
Ah, here I am, on the road again
D Em
There I am, up on the stage
D A
Here I go, playing star again
C D Em
There I go, there I go
End of song Play again?
Bob Seger - Turn The Page Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Bob Seger – Turn The Page: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em and ends on Em. 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 both starts and finishes on Em and Em is heard 28 times while G never appears. 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 | — |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| V/V | A | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Dsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | 10× |
| 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 | 4× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 22× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 28× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 28× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | — |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| IV | A | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | A · C# · E | 10× |
| 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 | 4× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 22× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 4 different chords appear 64 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. A acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×12
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×4
The move to watch is D → Em, heard 12 times. From the Em side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the G side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected G, lands on Em). 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 D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, 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. The backbone is Em, D, A, C — vi–V–V/V–IV from the G side, i–VII–IV–VI from the Em side. A adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to D. Keep an ear on D → Em (V → vi in G, VII → i in Em): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. It closes on Em, letting the Em 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.
Bob Seger - Turn The Page 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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