Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Guns N' Roses - November Rain - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords E, B, Dbm, Gb, Ebm, Gb/F Easy key G
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
E Dbm
When I look into your eyes
B
I can see a love restrained
E Dbm
But darling when I hold you
B
Don't you know I feel the same
Dbm Gb
Cause nothin' last forever
B
And we both know hearts can change
Dbm Gb
And it's hard to hold a candle
B
In the cold november rain
E Dbm
We've been through this such a long, long time
B
Just tryin' to kill the pain, oh yeah
E
But lovers always come and lovers always go
Dbm B
And no one's really sure who's lettin' go today
Walkin' away
E
If we could take the time to lay it on the line
Dbm
I could rest my head
B
Just knowin' that you were mine
All mine
Dbm Gb
So if you want to love me
B
Then darlin' don't refrain
Dbm Gb
Or I'll just end up walkin'
B
In the cold november rain
E Gb
Do you need sometime on your own?
E Gb
Do you need sometime all alone?
E Gb
Everybody needs sometime on their own
E Gb
Don't you know you need sometime all alone
Ebm E B
I know it's hard to keep and open heart
Ebm E Dbm
When even friends seem out to harm you
Ebm E B
But if you could heal a broken heart
Ebm E Gb
Wouldn't time be out to charm you
E Dbm B
E Gb
Sometimes I need sometime on my own
E Gb
Sometimes I need sometime all alone
E Gb
Everybody needs sometime on their own
E Gb
Don't you know you need sometime all alone
E Dbm
And when your fears subside
B
And shadows still remains, oh yeah
E Dbm
I know that you can love me
B
When there's no one left to blame
Dbm Gb
So never mind the darkness
B
We still can find a way
Dbm Gb
Cause nothin' lasts forever
B Gb/F
Even cold november rain
End of song Play again?
Guns N' Roses - November Rain Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Guns N' Roses – November Rain: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on Gb/F. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E major side because it opens on E and E is heard 20 times against 15 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from C# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to E or to C#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 | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 20× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/V | Gb | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bsecondary dominant | Gb · Bb · Db | 15× |
| V/V | Gb/F | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bsecondary dominant | Gb · Bb · Db | 1× |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | — |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | — |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 16× |
| vi | Dbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Db · Fb · Ab | 15× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| vii | Ebm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · Gb · Bb | 4× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dbm | Tonic — home | Db · Fb · Ab | 15× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| ii | Ebm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · Gb · Bb | 4× |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 20× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | — |
| IV | Gb | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Gb · Bb · Db | 15× |
| IV | Gb/F | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Gb · Bb · Db | 1× |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | — |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | — |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 16× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 6 different chords appear 71 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Gb, Gb/F act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- B E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×7
- B Dbm EV → videceptive cadence C#mVII → iAeolian arrival ×6
The move to watch is B → E, heard 7 times. From the E side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the C#m side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dbm, land on Db, Fb, Ab — 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 E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 3 semitones up
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening E lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are E, B, Dbm, Gb; read them as I–V–vi–V/V in E or III–VII–i–IV in C#m. Gb adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to B. Keep an ear on B → E (V → I in E, VII → III in C#m): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on Gb/F, letting the E side have the last word.
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 - November Rain 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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