Song chords
Promises chords
Maverick City Music
A 6/8 song built on one four-chord loop that gets rotated for every section, recorded in Bb and played nearly everywhere with a capo at the third fret. Verse and pre-chorus are identical; only the chorus reorders the loop.
Before you start
The chords you need.
4 shapes covers the whole song, fretted with the capo at fret 3. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Capo 3 with G shapes: Em sounds as Gm, C as Eb, G as Bb and D as F. The chorus writes the D as an F/D over a walking bass, but the plain D shape carries it. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 70 bpm.
Verse
4 barsThe loop, starting on the vi.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Pre-Chorus
4 barsThe same four chords — the lift is entirely in the melody.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Chorus
4 barsRotated so the V lands second and the phrase resolves downward.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Bridge
4 barsStarts on the IV, which is why the last chorus feels bigger.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
It is in 6/8 and it is slow, so every change is exposed. Get Em→C clean at 70 before you add anything — that pair opens three of the four sections.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Promises was written and recorded by Maverick City Music, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Promises in?
Promises sounds in Bb Major. The common arrangement gets there with a capo at fret 3 and G Major shapes, which is why the chords written here are G Major chords rather than Bb Major ones.
Do I need a capo for Promises?
Yes for the standard arrangement: capo 3. Without it you would be playing Bb Major shapes, which needs barre chords. With the capo on, the shapes are G Major — much friendlier under the hand.
What chords are in Promises?
Em, C, G and D — 4 chords across 4 sections. Capo 3 with G shapes: Em sounds as Gm, C as Eb, G as Bb and D as F. The chorus writes the D as an F/D over a walking bass, but the plain D shape carries it.
What is the easiest way to play Promises?
Beginner overall. It is in 6/8 and it is slow, so every change is exposed. Get Em→C clean at 70 before you add anything — that pair opens three of the four sections.
How fast is Promises?
About 70 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Promises in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.