Ed Sheeran - Perfect - Chord

Key Ab major – F minor Chords Ab, Db, Eb, Fm, G, Em, C, D … Easy key G (capo 1)

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Capo 0

Ab

          Ab       Fm
I found a love for me
             Db                           Eb
Darling just dive right in, and follow my lead
               Ab          Fm
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet
         Db                                   Eb
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

                                 Ab
Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
             Fm                     Db               Ab  Eb
Not knowing what it was, I will not give you up this ti  ime
                   Ab                        Fm
But darling just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
            Db                  Eb
And in your eyes you're holding mine

      Fm   Db            Ab         Eb             Fm
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Db               Ab    Eb               Fm
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
          Db               Ab                Eb             Fm
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
         Db               Ab       Eb            Ab
But you heard it, darling you look perfect tonight

               Ab                   Fm
Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know
                Db                                       Eb
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home
           Ab            Fm
I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets
         Db                             Eb
To carry love, to carry children of our own

                              Ab                    Fm
We are still kids, but we're so in love, fighting against all odds
                  Db              Ab  Eb
I know that we'll be alright this ti  ime
               Ab                           Fm
Darling just hold my hand, be my girl, I'll be your man
          Db             Eb
I see my future in your eyes

      Fm   Db             Ab        Eb             Fm
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Db               Ab    Eb               Fm
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
        Db               Ab               Eb
When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful
  Em       C                  G        D            G
I don't deserve this, darling you look perfect tonight

      Fm   Db             Ab        Eb             Fm
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Db               Ab    Eb               Fm
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
        Db             Ab              Eb            Fm
I have faith in what I see, now I know I have met an angel
    Db         Ab        Eb
In person, and she looks perfect

   Ab    Db          Ebadd4   Eb         Ab
I don't deserve this, you look perfect tonight

End of song Play again?

Ed Sheeran - Perfect Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Ed Sheeran – Perfect: key and chord analysis

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

Major view

Ab major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = G (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = Db (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

F minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = Db (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = Eb (natural-minor colour)
#7 = E (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 Ab major side because it both starts and finishes on Ab, Ab is heard 25 times against 19 for Fm and the major V chord points straight at Fm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from F minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.

Chord degrees: major and relative minor

Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Ab or to Fm; 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 Ab major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	Ab	Tonic — home	Ab · C · Eb	25×
ii	Bbm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	Bb · Db · F	—
iii	Cm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	C · Eb · G	—
V/vi	C	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Fmsecondary dominant	C · E · G	1×
IV	Db	Subdominant — moves away from home	Db · F · Ab	20×
#IV	D	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F# · A	1×
V	Eb	Dominant — strongest pull home	Eb · G · Bb	20×
V	Ebadd4	Dominant — strongest pull home	Eb · G · Bb · Ab	1×
bvi	Em	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	1×
vi	Fm	Relative minor — the melancholy side	F · Ab · C	19×
vii°	Gdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	G · Bb · Db	—
V/iii	G	Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D	2×

Seen from F minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Fm	Tonic — home	F · Ab · C	19×
ii°	Gdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	G · Bb · Db	—
V/v	G	Secondary dominant V/v — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D	2×
III	Ab	Relative major — the bright side	Ab · C · Eb	25×
iv	Bbm	Subdominant — moves away from home	Bb · Db · F	—
v	Cm	Minor dominant — soft pull	C · Eb · G	—
V	C	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	C · E · G	1×
VI	Db	Submediant — warm colour	Db · F · Ab	20×
#VI	D	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	D · F# · A	1×
VII	Eb	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Eb · G · Bb	20×
VII	Ebadd4	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Eb · G · Bb · Ab	1×
#vii	Em	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	E · G · B	1×

Analysis

The key pair is Ab major and its relative F minor (4 flats). 9 different chords appear 90 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Fm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from Ab, the same C is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Fm. G acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

Db Ab AbIV → Iplagal cadence FmVI → III ×13
Eb Fm AbV → videceptive cadence FmVII → iAeolian arrival ×10
Eb Ab AbV → Iauthentic cadence FmVII → III ×9
Db Eb AbIV → VIV → V FmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
Db Ebadd4 AbIV → VIV → V FmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1

The move to watch is Db → Ab, heard 13 times. From the Ab side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Fm side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

Ab major pentatonic and F minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Ab – Bb – C – Eb – F): start from Ab for a brighter phrase, from F for a bluesier one.
Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Db, land on Db, F, Ab — 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.
When C comes, swap the scale's Eb for E: 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 Ab major shapes

Capo 1 + G shapes
Capo 4 + E shapes
Capo 6 + D shapes

With F minor shapes

Capo 1 + Em shapes
Capo 3 + Dm shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
4 semitones up

The song's harmonic story

Starting on Ab, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are Ab, Db, Eb, Fm; read them as I–IV–V–vi in Ab or III–VI–VII–i in Fm. G is the interesting twist: in Ab it is a chromatic chord (V/iii), while in Fm it becomes the dominant (V/v) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Db → Ab (IV → I in Ab, VI → III in Fm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. It closes on Ab, letting the Ab 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.