Chord Of Let It Go

The Chords Behind Let It Go

I've been asked to walk people through the chords for "Let It Go" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. It's a fairly standard pop ballad progression with some key changes that make it tricky if you're not paying attention. The original is in F minor, but most people who want to play it end up transposing to something easier on guitar like C minor or D minor. The main verse sits on a simple Dm to Bb progression, then moves to C and back. The pre-chorus uses F to C/E to Dm/C to G7, which creates that rising tension before the chorus hits. The chorus itself is C - F - G - C, repeating with a slight variation that goes to Ab before coming back. Here's what most beginners miss: the emotional lift in this song doesn't come from the basic triads. It comes from the voice leading in the bass. When you play C/E instead of just C, the descending chromatic line C to B natural to A creates tension that resolves when you hit the Dm/C. If you're playing on piano, let the left hand walk that down. On guitar, a simple Dm7 to C add9 voicing does the same job without sounding stiff.

My biggest headache with this song has always been the key change into the final chorus. The original modulates up a half step to F minor. That second chorus is Fm, Bb, C, Fm, and the transition chord is just a C7 going into Fm, but timing it right matters because the vocal melody shifts by a half step too. I used to play it wrong for months until I realized the G7 before the final chorus is actually a tritone substitution for Db7, which leads to the key of Ab before the final lift. Once I locked that in, the whole song suddenly made more sense structurally. Here are the chords for the main sections: Verse: Dm - Bb - C - Dm - Bb - C - F - C

Pre-Chorus: F - C/E - Dm/C - G7 - C Chorus: C - F - G - C - F - C - G - C Bridge: Bb - C - Dm - G7 - C - F - Dm - G7 - C

Final Chorus (transposed up): F - Bb - C - F - Bb - F - C - F For guitar players, capos at the 5th fret and playing in A minor shapes will get you close to the original key. If you're on piano, the original F minor stays comfortable in your hands. One practical thing worth noting: the strumming pattern is pretty consistent throughout most of the song. Down, down-up, up-down-up. Keep it steady in the verses and let it open up in the chorus. Don't overthink the rhythm. The dynamics do most of the work here, not complex strumming.

If you're struggling with the key change section, practice just the two bars leading into it first. Play the G7 and listen for where it wants to resolve. It shouldn't go to C here. It should bend toward Fm or its relative major, and hearing that pull is what makes the transition feel earned instead of abrupt. I found that slowing it to half speed and listening closely to the bass movement fixed my timing issue in about ten minutes.