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)
Santana - Smooth (Rob Thomas) - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords E7, Am, F, E, Dm7, Bm7b5, Bsus4, G Easy key F (capo 7)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am F E E7
Am F E
Man it's a hot one
E7 Am F E
Like seven inches from the midday sun
E7 Dm7 Bm7b5
I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone
E7 Am F E
But you stay so cool
E7 Am F E E7 Am F E
My munequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa
E7 Dm7 Bm7b5
Your my reason for reason
E7 Am F E
The step in my groove
E7 Am F E E7
And if you say this life ain't good enough
Am F E E7
I would give my world to lift you up
Am F E E7 Dm7 Bm7b5
I could change my life to better suit your mood
G Bsus4 Bsus4 E7
Cause you're so smooth
Am F E E7
And just like the ocean under the moon
Am F E E7
Well that's the same emotion that I get from you
Am F E E7
You got the kind of lovin that can be so smooth
Dm7 E7
Gimme your heart, make it real
Am
Or else forget about it
Am F E
I'll tell you one thing
E7 Am F E
If you would leave it would be a crying shame
E7 Dm7 Bm7b5
In every breath and every word
E7 Am F E
I hear your name calling me out
E7 Am F E E7 Am F E
Out from the barrio, you hear my rhythm from your radio
E7 Dm7 Bm7b5
You feel the turning of the world so soft and slow
E7 Am F E
Turning you round and round
E7 Am F E E7
And if you say this life ain't good enough
Am F E E7
I would give my world to lift you up
Am F E E7 Dm7 Bm7b5
I could change my life to better suit your mood
G Bsus4 Bsus4 E7
Cause you're so smooth
Am F E E7
And just like the ocean under the moon
Am F E E7
Well that's the same emotion that I get from you
Am F E E7
You got the kind of lovin that can be so smooth
Dm7 E7
Gimme your heart, make it real
Am
Or else forget about it
Am F E E7
And just like the ocean under the moon
Am F E E7
Well that's the same emotion that I get from you
Am F E E7
You got the kind of lovin that can be so smooth
Dm7 E7
Gimme your heart, make it real
Am F E E7
Or else forget about it
Or else forget about it
Or else forget about it
Or else forget about it
Or else forget about it
Give me your hard, make it real
Hooo or else forget about it hee
Or else forget about it nah nah
Hooo or else forget about it nah nah nah
Hooo or else forget about it hoo hoo
Hooo or else forget about it he he he
End of song Play again?
Santana - Smooth (Rob Thomas) Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Santana – Smooth (Rob Thomas): key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on E7. 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 A minor side because it opens on Am, Am is heard 31 times while C never appears and the major V chord points straight at Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C 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 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 | — |
| ii7 | Dm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A · C | 9× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V7/vi | E7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 38× |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 29× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 29× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 2× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 31× |
| viiø7 | Bm7b5 | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F · A | 6× |
| VIIsus4 | Bsus4 | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · E · F# | 4× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 31× |
| iiø7 | Bm7b5 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F · A | 6× |
| IIsus4 | Bsus4 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · E · F# | 4× |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | — |
| iv7 | Dm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A · C | 9× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V7 | E7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B · D | 38× |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | 29× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 29× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 2× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 8 different chords appear 148 times in total; 6 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 E7 / E is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am.
Chord movement
- E7 Am CV7/vi → visecondary resolution AmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×28
- Bm7b5 E7 Cviiø7 → V7/vi Amiiø7 → V7ii° → V ×4
- Dm7 E7 Cii7 → V7/vi Amiv7 → V7iv → V ×3
The move to watch is E7 → Am, heard 28 times. From the Am side it is V7 → i (harmonic-minor cadence: the major V resolves dramatically); from the C side it reads V7/vi → vi (secondary resolution: E7 resolves a fourth up to Am). 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 E7, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — 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.
- 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
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Am; the ear learns where home is within a second. E7, Am, F, E carry the song: V7/vi–vi–IV–V/vi relative to C, V7–i–VI–V relative to Am. E7 is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on E7 → Am (V7/vi → vi in C, V7 → i in Am): harmonic-minor cadence — the major V resolves dramatically. Ending on E7, 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.
Santana - Smooth (Rob Thomas) 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.
Repertoires with this song
Similar songs, ready to play: pick a list.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.