City In The Sky by The Staple Singers
City In The Sky by The Staple Singers in 4/4 and is in the key of D minor. It is built on 4 chords — D7, G7, A7, Dm7. Released in 1974.
✓ 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What key is City In The Sky in?
City In The Sky is in D minor, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.
What chords does City In The Sky use?
City In The Sky is built on 4 chords: D7, G7, A7, Dm7.
Does City In The Sky 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.