Sep62019

Melanie Martinez – Detention Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression

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This is the chords of Detention by Melanie Martinez on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Intro]
Ebm Abm Bbm x4

[Verse 1]
Ebm Abm
I’m not a bad guy
Bbm Ebm Abm Bbm
So don’t treat me bad if I’m feeling sad, alright?
Ebm Abm
Please don’t be mad if I don’t smile back, alright?
Bbm Ebm Abm
If I fk up my words, don’t think I’m absurd, alright?
Bbm
Alright?

[Pre-Chorus]
Ebm
I’m physically exhausted
Bbm Abm
Tired of my knuckles piercing
Ebm Bbm
I’m chewing gum to pass this time
Abm
Sadness, can’t you see it?
Ebm Bbm
You’re too busy seeking selfish wishes
Abm
Look at how I’m feeling
Ebm Abm
You write me up and say it’s love
And I can’t believe it

[Chorus]
Ebm Abm
Baby, can you meet me tonight in detention?
Ebm Abm
I can feel your blood pressure rise, fck this tension
Ebm Abm
Let me crawl up into your mind, did I mention?
Ebm Abm
Pretending everything’s alright is detention

[Post-Chorus]
Ebm
De-detention
Abm
De-detention
Ebm
Pretending everything’s all right is (Shh!)

[Verse 2]
Ebm Abm Bbm
The teachers don’t care about me
Ebm Abm Bbm
Fuck how I feel, as long as I make money
Ebm Abm Bbm
They let them do whatever they want to me
Ebm Abm
They’re the customer, I’m chopped meat
Bbm
I’m chopped meat

[Chorus]
Ebm Abm
Baby, can you meet me tonight in detention?
Ebm Abm
I can feel your blood pressure rise, fk this tension
Ebm Abm
Let me crawl up into your mind, did I mention?
Ebm Abm
Pretending everything’s alright is detention

[Post-Chorus]
Ebm
De-detention
Abm
De-detention
Ebm
Pretending everything’s all right is (Shh!)

[Bridge]
Ebm Abm
I wanna go home and you say, “Now is not the time”
Ebm Abm
Fck being all alone in back of the classroom, ah
Ebm Abm
Stop calling up my phone, trying to say that I’ve been out of line
Ebm Abm
When all I ever asked was to go to the bathroom

[Instrumental]
Ebm Abm Bbm x2

[Outro]
Abm Bbm
Tonight
Ebm Abm Bbm
I can feel your blood pressure rise
Ebm Abm Bbm
Let me crawl up into your mind
Ebm
Pretending everything’s alright (is detention!)

How to play Detention: key, chords and progression

Detention by Melanie Martinez is centred on E♭ minor (six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯). The song uses 3 chords: Ebm, Abm and Bbm.

The progression the song keeps returning to is Ebm – Abm – Bbm – Ebm (i – iv – v – i in E♭ minor). Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 6th fret and play the shapes Am, Dm, Em (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 0% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.