Major view
F major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = E (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Bb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Madonna - Hung Up - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords Dm, F, Am, Bb Easy key C (capo 5)
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Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Dm F
Time goes by so slowly
Am Dm
Time goes by so slowly
Dm F Am Dm
Dm F
Every little thing that you say or do
Am
I'm hung up
Dm
I'm hung up on you
Dm
Waiting for your call
F
Baby, night and day
Am
I'm fed up
Dm
I'm tired of waiting on you
Dm F Dm F Dm
Time goes by so slowly for those who wait
F Dm F
No time to hesitate
Dm F Dm F
Those who run seem to have all the fun
Dm F
I'm caught up
Dm F
I don't know what to do
Dm F Dm F
Time goes by so slowly
Dm F Dm F
Time goes by so slowly
Dm F Dm F
Time goes by so slowly
Dm
I don't know what to do
Dm F Dm F
Ring ring ring, goes the telephone
Dm F Dm F
The lights are on, but there's no one home
Dm F Dm F
Tick tick tock, it's a quarter to two
Dm F
And I'm done
Dm
I'm hanging up on you
Bb F Am Dm
I can't keep on waiting for you
Bb F Am Dm
I know that you're still hesitating
Bb F
Don't cry for me
Am Dm
'Cause I'll find my way
Bb F
You'll wake up one day
Am Dm
But it'll be too late
Dm F Am Dm
End of song Play again?
Madonna - Hung Up Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Madonna – Hung Up: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dm and ends on Dm. Its chords belong to both F major and Dm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
D minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Bb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = C (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the D minor side because it both starts and finishes on Dm and Dm is heard 37 times against 30 for F. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from F 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 F or to Dm; 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 | F | Tonic — home | F · A · C | 30× |
| ii | Gm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D | — |
| iii | Am | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E | 9× |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | — |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | 4× |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | — |
| vi | Dm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A | 37× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Tonic — home | D · F · A | 37× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | — |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | 30× |
| iv | Gm | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D | — |
| v | Am | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E | 9× |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | — |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | 4× |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | — |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 4 different chords appear 80 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- Am Dm Fiii → vi Dmv → inatural-minor cadence ×9
- Bb F FIV → Iplagal cadence DmVI → III ×4
The move to watch is Am → Dm, heard 9 times. From the Dm side it is v → i (natural-minor cadence: gentle, modal arrival); from the F side it reads iii → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- F major pentatonic and D minor pentatonic are the same five notes (F – G – A – C – D): start from F for a brighter phrase, from D for a bluesier one.
- Over Dm, land on D, F, A — 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.
- Over Am, land on A, C, 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 F major shapes
- Capo 1 + E shapes
- Capo 3 + D shapes
- Capo 5 + C shapes
With D minor shapes
- No capo — open Dm shapes
- Capo 5 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
- 2 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The opening Dm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Dm, F, Am, Bb; read them as vi–I–iii–IV in F or i–III–v–VI in Dm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Am → Dm (iii → vi in F, v → i in Dm): natural-minor cadence — gentle, modal arrival. Ending on Dm, the song seals Dm 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.
Madonna - Hung Up 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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