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)
John Lennon - Imagine - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords F, C, Cmaj7, G, E, E7, Am, Dm7 … Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C Cmaj7 F C Cmaj7 F Imagine there's no heaven C Cmaj7 F It's easy if you try C Cmaj7 F No hell below us C Cmaj7 F Above us only sky F Am Dm7 F Imagine all the people G C G7 Living for to day ahah C Cmaj7 F Imagine there's no countries C Cmaj7 F It isn't hard to do C Cmaj7 F Nothing to kill or die for C Cmaj7 F And no religion too F Am Dm7 F Imagine all the people G C G7 Living life in peace you hou hou ou ou F G C Cmaj7 E E7 You may say I'm a dreamer F G C Cmaj7 E E7 But I'm not the only one F G C Cmaj7 E E7 I hope some day you'll join us F G C And the world will be as one C Cmaj7 F Imagine no pos sessions C Cmaj7 F I wonder if you can C Cmaj7 F No need for greed or hunger C Cmaj7 F A brotherhood of man F Am Dm7 F Imagine all the people G C G7 Sharing all the world you hou hou ou F G C Cmaj7 E E7 You may say I'm a dreamer F G C Cmaj7 E E7 But I'm not the only one F G C Cmaj7 E E7 I hope some day you'll join us F G C And the world will be as one
End of song Play again?
John Lennon - Imagine Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
John Lennon – Imagine: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C and ends on C. 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)
- #7 = G# (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 C major side because it both starts and finishes on C, C is heard 43 times against 3 for Am and the major V chord points straight at Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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× |
| Imaj7 | Cmaj7 | Tonic — home | C · E · G · B | 19× |
| ii7 | Dm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A · C | 3× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 6× |
| V7/vi | E7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 6× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 27× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 11× |
| V7 | G7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D · F | 3× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 3× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 3× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 24× |
| IIImaj7 | Cmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G · B | 19× |
| iv7 | Dm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A · C | 3× |
| 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 | 6× |
| V7 | E7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B · D | 6× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 27× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 11× |
| VII7 | G7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D · F | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 9 different chords appear 102 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E / E7 is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am.
Chord movement
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×11
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×11
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×10
- F Am CIV → vi AmVI → iVI → i ×3
- G7 C CV7 → Iauthentic cadence AmVII7 → III ×1
The move to watch is G → C, heard 11 times. From the C side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Am side it is VII → III. 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 F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Cmaj7, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When E comes, swap the scale's G for G#: 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 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
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The opening C lays a solid floor for everything that follows. F, C, Cmaj7, G carry the song: IV–I–Imaj7–V relative to C, VI–III–IIImaj7–VII relative to Am. E is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on G → C (V → I in C, VII → III in Am): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is C; the ear comes to rest in C.
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.
John Lennon - Imagine 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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