Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, Em7, A7sus4, C, D/F#, Am/E, Am Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Em7 G Em7 G Em7 A7sus4 Em7 A7sus4 G
C D/F#
So, so you think you can tell,
Am/E G
Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
D/F# C Am
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail, a smile from a veil,
G
Do you think you can tell?
C D/F#
Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts,
Am/E G D/F#
Hot ashes for trees, hot air for a cool breeze, cold comfort for change,
C Am G
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
Em7 G Em7 G Em7 A7sus4 Em7 A7sus4 G
C D/F#
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
Am/E G D/F#
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
C
Running over the same old ground. What have we found?
Am G
The same old fears. Wish you were here!
Em7 G Em7 G Em7 A7sus4 Em7 A7sus4 G
End of song Play again?
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em7 and ends on G. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because it comes to rest on G, it opens on Em and G is heard 15 times against 12 for Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; 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 | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 15× |
| ii | Am/E | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 3× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 3× |
| V7/V | A7sus4 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Dsecondary dominant | A · D · E · G | 6× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 6× |
| V | D/F# | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 6× |
| vi7 | Em7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B · D | 12× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Em7 | Tonic — home | E · G · B · D | 12× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 15× |
| iv | Am/E | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 3× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 3× |
| IV7sus4 | A7sus4 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | A · D · E · G | 6× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 6× |
| VII | D/F# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 6× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 7 different chords appear 51 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. A7sus4 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- C D/F# GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
The move to watch is C → D/F#, heard 3 times. From the G side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the Em side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Em7, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A7sus4, land on A, D, E — 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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Em7; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are G, Em7, A7sus4, C; read them as I–vi7–V7/V–IV in G or III–i7–IV7sus4–VI in Em. A7sus4 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to D. Keep an ear on C → D/F# (IV → V in G, VI → VII in Em): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. Ending on G, the song seals G 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.
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 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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