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)
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords C, Dm, F, Am, G Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am C Dm F
Am C Dm F
This was never the way I planned, not my intention
Am C Dm F
I got so brave, drink in hand, lost my discretion
Am C Dm F Am
It’s not what I’m used to, just wanna try you on
C Dm F
I’m curi-ous for you, caught my attention
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstick
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl just to try it, I hope my girlfriend don’t mind it
Am C Dm F
It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don’t mean I’m in love tonight
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl and I liked it
Am C Dm F
No, I don’t even know your name, it doesn’t matter
Am C Dm F
You’re my experimental game, just human nature
Am C Dm F Am
It’s not what good girls do, not how they should behave
C Dm F
My head gets so confused, hard to obey
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstick
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl just to try it, I hope my girlfriend don’t mind it
Am C Dm F
It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don’t mean I’m in love tonight
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl and I liked it
Dm F C G
You girls you are so magical, soft skin, red lips, so kissable
Dm F C G
Hard to resist, so touchable, too good to deny it
Dm F C G
It ain’t no big deal, it’s innocent
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstick
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl just to try it, I hope my girlfriend don’t mind it
Am C Dm F
It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don’t mean I’m in love tonight
Am C Dm F
I kissed a girl and I liked it
End of song Play again?
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on F. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
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: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between C major and A minor because it opens on Am and C is heard 24 times against 21 for Am. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
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.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 24× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 24× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 24× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 3× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 21× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 21× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 24× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 24× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 24× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 5 different chords appear 96 times in total; 5 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 Am CIV → vi AmVI → iVI → i ×19
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×3
- G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is F → Am, heard 19 times. From the C side it reads IV → vi; from the Am side it is VI → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home). 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 Dm, land on D, F, A — 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.
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
The first chord is Am; the ear learns where home is within a second. C, Dm, F, Am carry the song: I–ii–IV–vi relative to C, III–iv–VI–i relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F → Am (IV → vi in C, VI → i in Am): VI → i — falls a half step into home. Ending on F, the song seals C as home.
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.
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl 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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