Chords in Today's Songs

Discover the chords behind familiar songs and see how they work together. Each week, we'll feature a song and explore a short chord sequence that helps give it its distinctive sound.

Use the Fingertips chord boxes to try the progression yourself — and listen for it when you hear the song.

Something — The Beatles

Featured progression: C – Cmaj7 – C7 – F

One of the most recognisable chord movements in Something is also a beautifully simple example of how changing just one note at a time can transform a progression.

Start with C major: C – E – G. Add the major 7th, B, and it becomes Cmaj7. Then lower that B by one semitone to B♭ and you have C7. Lower it once more to A and that note fits naturally into the next chord, F major: F – A – C.

So, while the harmony moves C → Cmaj7 → C7 → F, there is a wonderfully smooth descending line within it:

C → B → B♭ → A

Try playing the four chords slowly and listen for that descending movement. It's a simple technique that can make an ordinary major chord progression sound immediately richer and more expressive.

Four Fingertips piano chord diagrams showing the C, Cmaj7, C7 and F chord sequence from “Something” by The Beatles, with keyboard fingering examples.

Someone Like You — Adele

Featured progression: A – C♯m – F♯m – D

The opening of Someone Like You shows how a relatively simple chord progression can become instantly recognisable through the way those chords are played.

The progression begins with A major, before moving through C♯ minor, F♯ minor and D major. Rather than jumping between ordinary root-position shapes, the piano part uses inversions and broken-chord patterns to create a much smoother flow between them.

In our Fingertips chord boxes, try C♯ minor in 2nd inversion and D major in 2nd inversion. Notice how keeping the notes relatively close together reduces unnecessary movement across the keyboard.

A → C♯m → F♯m → D

Try the four chords first as simple block chords. Then experiment with breaking the notes up individually. The chords haven't changed — but the way you play them can completely change the character of the progression.

Four Fingertips piano chord diagrams showing the A major, C♯ minor 2nd inversion, F♯ minor and D major 2nd inversion chord sequence from ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele, with keyboard fingering examples.

Anyone Who Had a Heart — Cilla Black

Featured progression: G♯m – Emaj7 – A – G♯m

The opening chords of Anyone Who Had a Heart provide a striking example of how an unexpected chord can immediately give a song its character.

Beginning in G♯ minor, the harmony moves to the rich sound of Emaj7 before making the particularly distinctive move to A major. That A major chord introduces a note outside the G♯ natural minor scale, giving the progression a sudden change of colour before returning to G♯ minor.

G♯m → Emaj7 → A → G♯m

Play the four chords slowly and listen particularly to the move from Emaj7 to A major. It is a good example of how songwriters can step outside the chords you might expect from a key without the music sounding wrong.

Instead, that unexpected harmony becomes one of the things that makes the opening so memorable.

Four Fingertips piano chord diagrams showing the G♯ minor, Emaj7, A major and G♯ minor chord sequence from ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart’ by Cilla Black, with keyboard fingering examples.

Castle on the Hill — Ed Sheeran

Featured progression: D – G – Bm – A

The chorus of Castle on the Hill is a great example of how four simple chords can create something energetic, memorable and immediately uplifting.

The progression uses D major, G major, B minor and A major — four very common chords in the key of D. There are no complicated extended or altered chords here. Much of the character comes instead from the rhythm, the arrangement and the way the progression keeps driving forward.

D → G → Bm → A

Notice that the first two chords are major, before the move to B minor adds a slightly different colour. The final A major then creates a strong pull back towards D, allowing the progression to begin again naturally.

Try playing the four chords as simple block chords first. Then play them with a stronger, more rhythmic pulse. It's a good demonstration of how basic chords don't have to produce basic music — sometimes four familiar shapes are all a great song needs.

Four piano chord diagrams showing chords from Ed Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill: D major, G major, B minor and A major, with keyboard fingering and hand positions.

Twist and Shout — The Beatles

Featured progression: D – G – A – A7

Twist and Shout is a great example of just how much can be done with only a few chords. The entire song is built around these four: D major, G major, A major and A7.

Most of the song revolves around the simple D – G – A pattern. These are three of the most natural chords to use together in the key of D major, and their repeated movement gives the song its instantly recognisable drive.

The A7 adds something extra. It doesn't appear immediately, but when it does, listen to how its extra note gives the chord more tension and makes the return to D major feel stronger.

D → G → A → A7

Try playing the first three chords repeatedly and getting used to their sound. Then add A7 and listen to the difference it makes.

The distinctive sound of A7 can be heard especially clearly during the Beatles' famous ascending:

“Aah – Aah – Aah – Aah – Aaaah!”

Listen to how the fourth “Aah” lands on the 7th of the A7 chord, before the final “Aaaah” rises to the octave. It’s a great example of how the notes of a melody and the chord beneath them work together.

Four piano chord diagrams showing the chords used throughout The Beatles’ Twist and Shout: D major, G major, A major and A7, with keyboard fingering and hand positions.

Strange — Celeste

Featured progression: D – Gm/D – D – Gm/D

The opening of Strange has a beautifully distinctive sound, created by alternating between D major and G minor over D.

Keeping D in the bass while the chord above changes from major to minor gives the progression its haunting quality. The D major and Gm/D chords alternate through the opening before the harmony moves on to Bm – Em – G – A, completing the first two lines of the lyrics.

It’s a lovely example of how a very small change in the notes above a steady bass can completely alter the mood of a chord.

D – Gm/D – D – Gm/D – Bm – Em – G – A

The inversion is especially worth noticing here. Rather than hearing G minor simply as a separate chord, keeping D underneath connects it closely to the D major and helps create the characteristic sound of the opening.

Four piano chord diagrams showing D major, G minor, D major and G minor, illustrating the repeating chord movement heard in Celeste’s song “Strange”.

My Girl — The Temptations

Featured progression: C – Dm – F – G

The chorus of My Girl begins with the familiar “I guess you’d say”, and moves through four straightforward chords that show how much can be achieved with simple harmony.

Starting on C major, the progression moves to D minor, then F major and G major. All four chords belong naturally together in the key of C, giving the chorus its bright, easy-flowing sound.

C – Dm – F – G

The G major creates a natural pull back towards C, helping the progression lead smoothly into the next part of the chorus.

It’s a great example of a classic song built from basic major and minor chords — and proof that memorable harmony doesn’t need to be complicated.

Four Fingertips piano chord diagrams showing the C, Cmaj7, C7 and F chord sequence from “My Girl” by The Temptations, with keyboard fingering examples.

Blank Space — Taylor Swift

Featured progression: F – Dm – B♭ – C

The opening of Blank Space is built around a simple four-chord progression that continues underneath the first verse.

Beginning with F major, it moves to its relative minor, D minor, before continuing through B♭ major and C major. These four chords all belong naturally to the key of F, creating a progression that feels settled and familiar while leaving plenty of space for the melody and rhythm to give the song its character.

F – Dm – B♭ – C

The C major at the end creates a natural pull back towards F, allowing the same four chords to cycle smoothly as the verse continues.

It’s another good example of how four basic major and minor chords can provide the foundation for a distinctive and instantly recognisable song.

Four Fingertips piano chord diagrams showing the C, Cmaj7, C7 and F chord sequence from “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift with keyboard fingering examples.

Just the Way You Are — Billy Joel

Featured progression: D – Bm6 – Gmaj7 – Bm

When the lyrics first enter in Just the Way You Are, the harmony begins with D major before moving through Bm6, Gmaj7 and B minor.

Both the Bm6 and Gmaj7 add extra colour to otherwise familiar chords. The added notes help give the progression the smooth, sophisticated sound that is such a feature of the song.

D – Bm6 – Gmaj7 – Bm

There are also strong connections between these chords. D major and B minor share two notes, while Gmaj7 contains the complete B minor triad — B, D and F♯ — with G underneath. That helps the changes flow particularly smoothly.

It’s a lovely example of how extended and colour chords can make a progression sound richer while still being built around very familiar major and minor harmony.

Four Fingertips piano chord diagrams showing the C, Cmaj7, C7 and F chord sequence from “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel, with keyboard fingering examples.