Song chords
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay chords
Otis Redding
A soul standard in G whose verse leans on two chords that do not belong to the key at all — a B and an A, both major where the key wants minors. Only the bridge behaves, and it is the plainest I–V–IV in the catalogue.
Before you start
The chords you need.
6 shapes covers the whole song. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Key of G, no capo. Verse G–B–C–A; chorus alternating G and E with an A at the end; bridge G–D–C–G. The record voices the B and the E as sevenths — the plain triads carry the harmony, the sevenths carry the swagger. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 103 bpm.
Verse
4 barsThe B and the A are both borrowed — neither belongs to the key of G.
Chorus
6 barsAnother borrowed major, this time built on the vi.
Bridge
4 barsThe only diatonic section in the whole song.
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.
The B is a barre and it lands in bar two. A three-string shape at the second fret gets you through, but learn the full barre eventually — the thickness is part of the sound.
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 — (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay was written and recorded by Otis Redding, 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 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay in?
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay is in G Major, and it is played in that key with no capo — the chords you read here are the chords you hear.
Do I need a capo for (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay?
No. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay is played open in G Major. A capo will only move it out of the recorded key, which matters if you are playing along with the record.
What chords are in (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay?
G, B, C, A, E and D — 6 chords across 3 sections. Key of G, no capo. Verse G–B–C–A; chorus alternating G and E with an A at the end; bridge G–D–C–G. The record voices the B and the E as sevenths — the plain triads carry the harmony, the sevenths carry the swagger.
What is the easiest way to play (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay?
Intermediate overall. The B is a barre and it lands in bar two. A three-string shape at the second fret gets you through, but learn the full barre eventually — the thickness is part of the sound.
How fast is (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay?
About 103 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 (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay 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.