Major view
F major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = E (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Bb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Santana - Black Magic Woman - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords Dm7, Am7, Gm, Edim, Dm Easy key C (capo 5)
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Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Dm7 Edim Edim Dm7
Dm7 Am7
Got a black magic woman, got a black magic woman
Dm7 Gm
I got a black magic woman got me so blind I can't see
Dm7 Am7 Dm
That she's a black magic woman she's try'in to make a devil out of me
Dm7 Am7
Don't turn your back on me ba-by, Don't turn your back on me baby
Dm7 Gm
Yes don't turn your back on me baby, Stop messin' round with your tricks
Dm7 Am7 Dm7
Don't turn your back on me baby, I just might just pick up my magic sticks
Dm7 Am7
Got your spell on me ba-by, got your spell on me baby
Dm7 Gm
Yes you got your spell on me baby, turnin my heart into stone
Dm7 Am7 Dm7
I need you so bad, magic woman I can't leave you a-lone
End of song Play again?
Santana - Black Magic Woman Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Santana – Black Magic Woman: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dm7 and ends on Dm7. Its chords belong to both F major and Dm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
D minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Bb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = C (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the D minor side because it both starts and finishes on Dm and Dm is heard 14 times while F never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from F 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 F or to Dm; 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 | F | Tonic — home | F · A · C | — |
| ii | Gm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D | 3× |
| iii7 | Am7 | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E · G | 6× |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | — |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | — |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | — |
| vi7 | Dm7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A · C | 13× |
| vi | Dm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A | 1× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | 2× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Dm7 | Tonic — home | D · F · A · C | 13× |
| i | Dm | Tonic — home | D · F · A | 1× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | 2× |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | — |
| iv | Gm | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D | 3× |
| v7 | Am7 | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E · G | 6× |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | — |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | — |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | — |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 5 different chords appear 25 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
- Am7 Dm7 Fiii7 → vi7 Dmv7 → i7natural-minor cadence ×5
- Gm Dm7 Fii → vi7 Dmiv → i7minor plagal ×3
- Am7 Dm Fiii7 → vi Dmv7 → inatural-minor cadence ×1
The move to watch is Am7 → Dm7, heard 5 times. From the Dm side it is v7 → i7 (natural-minor cadence: gentle, modal arrival); from the F side it reads iii7 → vi7. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- F major pentatonic and D minor pentatonic are the same five notes (F – G – A – C – D): start from F for a brighter phrase, from D for a bluesier one.
- Over Dm7, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am7, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gm, land on G, Bb, 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 F major shapes
- Capo 1 + E shapes
- Capo 3 + D shapes
- Capo 5 + C shapes
With D minor shapes
- No capo — open Dm shapes
- Capo 5 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Dm7, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are Dm7, Am7, Gm, Edim; read them as vi7–iii7–ii–vii° in F or i7–v7–iv–ii° in Dm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Am7 → Dm7 (iii7 → vi7 in F, v7 → i7 in Dm): natural-minor cadence — gentle, modal arrival. The final chord is Dm7; the ear comes to rest in Dm.
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.
Santana - Black Magic Woman 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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