Dirty Little Secret artwork

Dirty Little Secret

The All-American Rejects

KeyB♭ major
Tempo143 BPM
Duration3:13

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 Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects in?

This transcription starts in B♭ major.

What tempo is Dirty Little Secret?

The estimated tempo is 143 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 Dirty Little Secret?

Recurring four-chord sequences in this transcription include B♭ → E♭ → Gm → F (8 occurrences); B♭ → A♭ → B♭ → A♭ (4 occurrences); B♭ → F → Gm → E♭ (4 occurrences). These are exact chord-label matches within sections, not a complete harmonic analysis.

What are the relative chords in Dirty Little Secret?

Here are a few patterns to play with: I → IV → vi → V in B♭ major; I → ♭VII → I → ♭VII in B♭ major; I → V → vi → IV 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 Dirty Little Secret use a well-known chord progression?

Yes! In B♭ major: The four-chord pop progression (I → V → vi → IV) shows up in the verse at 0:15 and 0:22. The big singalong loop: a little lift, a little heartache, and an easy way back home. The three-chord I–IV–V progression (V → I → IV) shows up in the chorus at 0:47 and 1:30. Three chords, plenty of mileage: home, a lift away, and the pull to come back. The Mixolydian subtonic shuttle (I → ♭VII) shows up in the intro at 0:00 and 0:03. Two major chords a whole step apart give this back-and-forth groove a loose, rock-friendly feel.

What time signature is Dirty Little Secret in?

The transcription starts in 4/4. Later meter changes are detected at 3:00 (9/8); 3:02 (4/4).

How is Dirty Little Secret structured?

The detected sections are intro (0:00) → verse (0:15) → chorus (0:42) → verse (0:58) → chorus (1:25) → bridge (1:42) → interlude (2:02) → chorus (2:15) → outro (2:48).

How long is this version of Dirty Little Secret?

The transcribed version lasts 3:13. Other recordings or edits may have a different duration.

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