Major view
B major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = A# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = E (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry - Chord
Key B major – G# minor Chords Gb, Abm, E, B, Dbm, Gb/B, Eb Easy key G (capo 4)
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Key: B | Abm | G#m
Capo: 0
Abm Dbm Gb B Gb/B
Abm Dbm Gb Abm
Abm Dbm
Talk to me softly
Gb B Gb/B
There's something in your eyes
Abm Dbm
Don't hang your head in sorrow
Gb B Gb/B
And please don't cry
Abm Dbm
I know how you feel inside I've
Gb B Gb/B
I've been there before
Abm Dbm
Somethin' is changin' inside you
Gb B Gb/B
And don't you know
E Gb Abm
Don't you cry tonight I still love you baby
E Gb Abm
Don't you cry tonight
E Gb B Gb/B Abm
Don't you cry tonight
Gb
Don't you cry tonight there's a heaven above you baby
E Gb Abm
And don't you cry tonight
Abm Dbm
Give me a whisper
Gb B Gb/B
And give me a sigh
Abm Dbm
Give me a kiss before you
Gb B Gb/B
Tell me goodbye
Abm Dbm
Don't you take it so hard now
Gb B Gb/B
And please don't take it so bad
Abm Dbm
I'll still be thinkin' of you
Gb B Gb/BAbmGb
And the times we had Baby
E Gb Abm
And don't you cry tonight
E Gb Abm
Don't you cry tonight
E Gb B Gb/B Abm
Don't you cry tonight
Gb
Don't you cry tonight there's a heaven above you baby
E Gb Abm
And don't you cry tonight
Dbm E Gb Abm Gb
E Gb Abm Gb
E Gb Eb E
E Gb Abm
Dbm Gb
And please remember
B Gb/B Abm
That I never lied
Dbm Gb
And please remember
B Gb/B Abm Gb
How I felt inside now honey
Dbm Gb
You gotta make it your own way
B Gb/B Abm Gb
But you'll be alright now sugar
Dbm Gb
You'll feel better tomorrow
B Gb/B Abm Gb
Come the morning light now baby
E Gb Abm
And don't you cry tonight
E Gb Abm
And don't you cry tonight
E Gb B Gb/B
Don't you cry tonight
Abm Gb
And don't you cry tonight there's a heaven above you baby
E Gb
And don't you cry
E Gb
Don't you ever cry
E Gb Eb
Don't you cry tonight
E
Baby maybe someday
E Gb
Don't you cry
E Gb
Don't you ever cry
E Gb B
Don't you cry tonight
End of song Play again?
Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Guns N' Roses – Don't Cry: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Abm and ends on B. Its chords belong to both B major and G#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
G# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = E (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = F# (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 G# minor side because it comes to rest on B, it opens on G#m, G#m is heard 29 times against 16 for B and the major V chord points straight at G#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from B 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 B or to G#m; 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 | B | Tonic — home | B · D# · F# | 16× |
| ii | Dbm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Db · Fb · Ab | 15× |
| iii | D#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | D# · F# · A# | — |
| V/vi | Eb | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Abmsecondary dominant | Eb · G · Bb | 2× |
| IV | E | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G# · B | 23× |
| V | Gb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Gb · Bb · Db | 42× |
| V | Gb/B | Dominant — strongest pull home | Gb · Bb · Db | 15× |
| vi | Abm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Ab · Cb · Eb | 29× |
| vii° | A#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | A# · C# · E | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Abm | Tonic — home | Ab · Cb · Eb | 29× |
| ii° | A#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A# · C# · E | — |
| III | B | Relative major — the bright side | B · D# · F# | 16× |
| iv | Dbm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Db · Fb · Ab | 15× |
| v | D#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | D# · F# · A# | — |
| V | Eb | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | Eb · G · Bb | 2× |
| VI | E | Submediant — warm colour | E · G# · B | 23× |
| VII | Gb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Gb · Bb · Db | 42× |
| VII | Gb/B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Gb · Bb · Db | 15× |
Analysis
The key pair is B major and its relative G# minor (5 sharps). 7 different chords appear 142 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of G#m brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from B, the same Eb is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for G#m.
Chord movement
- E Gb BIV → VIV → V G#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×21
- Gb B BV → Iauthentic cadence G#mVII → III ×16
- Gb/B Abm BV → videceptive cadence G#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×14
- Dbm Gb Bii → Vii → V G#miv → VII ×13
- Gb Abm BV → videceptive cadence G#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×12
The move to watch is E → Gb, heard 21 times. From the G#m side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic); from the B side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- B major pentatonic and G# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (B – C# – D# – F# – G#): start from B for a brighter phrase, from G# for a bluesier one.
- Over Gb, land on Gb, Bb, Db — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Abm, land on Ab, Cb, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When Eb comes, swap the scale's F# 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 B major shapes
- Capo 2 + A shapes
- Capo 4 + G shapes
- Capo 7 + E shapes
With G# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Em shapes
- Capo 6 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
- 1 semitone up
The song's harmonic story
The opening Abm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is Gb, Abm, E, B — V–vi–IV–I from the B side, VII–i–VI–III from the G#m side. Eb is the interesting twist: in B it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in G#m it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on E → Gb (IV → V in B, VI → VII in G#m): VI → VII — the rising step that heads for the tonic. Ending on B, the song seals B 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.
Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry 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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