Never Can Say Goodbye by Gloria Gaynor
Never Can Say Goodbye by Gloria Gaynor in 4/4 and is in the key of C major. It is built on 6 chords — C, Cm7, Fmaj7, Cmaj7, Dm7, D. Released in 1975.
✓ Key sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected. See how we verify →
What to watch for
At least one shape here is a full barre — one finger pressing all six strings, no open strings to lean on. Fret it unplugged first; if a string buzzes, it's the barre, not the chord. Listen for the 7th in these chords — it's the note doing most of the harmonic pull, and it's the first thing that disappears if you fret only the plain triad underneath it.
Learn the theory
Play it on a live fretboard
Every shape, every voicing, and the scale that fits over them — on a board you can hear. Then just talk to it: Melody Monkey's personal music teacher controls the fretboard, so ask for a chord, a scale, a progression, or why any of it works, and watch it land under your fingers. Free to start.
Open the free app →Keep playing
More Disco songs See all →
More songs from 1975 See all →
Frequently asked questions
What key is Never Can Say Goodbye in?
Never Can Say Goodbye is in C major, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.
What chords does Never Can Say Goodbye use?
Never Can Say Goodbye is built on 6 chords: C, Cm7, Fmaj7, Cmaj7, Dm7, D.
Does Never Can Say Goodbye need barre chords?
Yes — at least one shape is a full barre (one finger across all six strings). Everything else on the page is a standard open shape.