Hollaback Girl artwork

Hollaback Girl

Gwen Stefani

KeyE♭ minor
Tempo109 BPM
Duration3:20

Rhodes melody, piano & acoustic guitar.

Song map

INTROClick a line to play from there
SONG NOTES

Questions about this song

Answers from our automatic transcription. Key, tempo and chord labels may contain errors.

What key is Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani in?

This transcription starts in E♭ minor.

What tempo is Hollaback Girl?

The estimated tempo is 109 BPM, calculated from the median spacing between detected beats. This is a summary of the transcription; timing can vary during the song.

What are the main chord progressions in Hollaback Girl?

Recurring four-chord sequences in this transcription include C♭ → E♭m/5 → C♭ → E♭m/5 (8 occurrences); C♭maj7 → E♭m/5 → C♭maj7 → E♭m/5 (8 occurrences); C♭maj7 → E♭m/5 → C♭maj7 → B♭m (5 occurrences). These are exact chord-label matches within sections, not a complete harmonic analysis.

What are the relative chords in Hollaback Girl?

Here are a few patterns to play with: VI → i/5 → VI → i/5 in E♭ minor; VImaj7 → i/5 → VImaj7 → i/5 in E♭ minor; VImaj7 → i/5 → VImaj7 → v in E♭ minor. Think of Roman numerals as chord names you can take into any key. Uppercase is major, lowercase is minor; in minor keys, we count from the natural-minor scale.

Does Hollaback Girl use a well-known chord progression?

Yes! In E♭ minor: The Aeolian shuttle (VI → i) shows up in the chorus at 0:22 and 0:24. A minor home chord and its major VI trade places in a gentle light-and-shadow loop.

What time signature is Hollaback Girl in?

The song starts in 4/4, with a short partial bar at the beginning.

How is Hollaback Girl structured?

The detected sections are chorus (0:00) → verse (0:39) → chorus (0:57) → verse (1:31) → chorus (1:49).

How long is this version of Hollaback Girl?

The transcribed version lasts 3:20. Other recordings or edits may have a different duration.

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