Song · Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You by Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell

R&B/Soul1967AdvancedBarre chords🎸 Interactive

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You by Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell in 4/4 and is in the key of Db major. It is built on 6 chords — Db, Gb, Ab, Eb, Fm, Gm. Released in 1967.

✓ Key sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected. See how we verify →

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You — Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell
Tempo Find it → not verified
Key Db major verified
Time 4/4 signature
Length 2:21 runtime
Released 1967 R&B/Soul
Chords 6 shapes below
Rate this song's difficulty
Loading…
🎸 Tap a chord to hear it Every shape in this song, on a real fretboard.

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.

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 R&B/Soul songs See all →

More songs from 1967 See all →

More songs with the I–II–iii–IV–V–bv progression See all →

Frequently asked questions

What key is If I Could Build My Whole World Around You in?

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You is in Db major, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.

What chords does If I Could Build My Whole World Around You use?

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You is built on 6 chords: Db, Gb, Ab, Eb, Fm, Gm.

Does If I Could Build My Whole World Around You 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.