Ordinary People artwork

Ordinary People

KeyB♭ major

Tempo100 BPM

Duration4:41

Listen with

Rhodes melody, piano & acoustic guitar.

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 Ordinary People by John Legend in?

This transcription starts in B♭ major.

What tempo is Ordinary People?

The estimated tempo is 100 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 Ordinary People?

Recurring four-chord sequences in this transcription include B♭maj7 → E♭maj7 → Fmaj7 → B♭maj7 (13 occurrences); E♭maj7 → Fmaj7 → B♭maj7 → E♭maj7 (13 occurrences); Fmaj7 → B♭maj7 → E♭maj7 → Fmaj7 (13 occurrences). These are exact chord-label matches within sections, not a complete harmonic analysis.

What are the relative chords in Ordinary People?

Here are a few patterns to play with: Imaj7 → IVmaj7 → Vmaj7 → Imaj7 in B♭ major; IVmaj7 → Vmaj7 → Imaj7 → IVmaj7 in B♭ major; Vmaj7 → Imaj7 → IVmaj7 → Vmaj7 in B♭ major. 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 Ordinary People use a well-known chord progression?

Yes! In B♭ major: The three-chord I–IV–V progression (I → IV → V) shows up in the intro at 0:01 and 0:11. Three chords, plenty of mileage: home, a lift away, and the pull to come back.

What time signature is Ordinary People in?

The transcription starts in 5/8. Later meter changes are detected at 0:01 (4/4).

How is Ordinary People structured?

The detected sections are intro (0:00) → verse (0:20) → chorus (0:59) → verse (1:37) → chorus (2:15) → bridge (2:54) → chorus (3:13) → outro (4:11).

How long is this version of Ordinary People?

The transcribed version lasts 4:41. Other recordings or edits may have a different duration.