Bruno Mars - Thats What I Like - Chord

Key C major – A minor Chords Em7, Dm, G, A, F, Am, A7, C … Difficulty already in its easiest key

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Dm             Dm
I got a condo in Manhattan
                  Dm
Baby girl, what's happening
G                  G
You and your ass invited
                   G
So gon' and get to clappin'
   Em7
So pop it for a pimp
Em7           Em7
Pop it for me
                A
Turn around and drop it for a pimp
A               A7
Drop, drop it for me
            Dm              Dm
I'll rent a beach house in Miami
                Dm
Wake up with no jammies
G                G
Lobster tail for dinner

Julio serve that scampi
    Em7
You got it if you want it
Em7                Em7
Got, got it if you want it
         A
Said you got it if you want it
A                A7
Take my wallet if you want it now

Dm           Em7
Jump in the Cadillac

Girl, let's put some miles on it
             G
Anything you want

Just to put a smile on you
Dm               Em7
You deserve it baby, you deserve it all
    Am     G         Em7
And I'm gonna give it to you

             Dm       Dm
Gold jewelry shining so bright
           F        F
Strawberry champagne on ice
                             Em7                 Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
                             A                 A
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
           Dm     Dm
Sex by the fire at night
                G          G
Silk sheets and diamonds all white
                             Em7                 Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
                             Am          G          G   Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like

        Dm             Dm
I'm talkin' trips to Puerto Rico
                 Dm
Say the word and we go
G            G
You can be my freaka
                    Em7
Girl, I'll be a fleeko, mamacita
                                   Em7
I will never make a promise that I can't keep
A                 A                 Am
 I promise that you'll smile and gon' never leave
  Dm                 Dm
Shopping sprees in Paris
              Dm
Everything 24 karats
G                    G
Take a look in that mirror

Now tell me who's the fairest
      Em7             Em7             Em7
Is it you? Is it you? Is it me? Is it me
             A              A      A7
Say it's us, say it's us, and I'll agree, baby

Dm           Em7
Jump in the Cadillac

Girl, let's put some miles on it
             G
Anything you want

Just to put a smile on you
Dm               Em7
You deserve it baby, you deserve it all
    Am     G         Em7
And I'm gonna give it to you

             Dm       Dm
Gold jewelry shining so bright
           G        G
Strawberry champagne on ice
                             Em7                 Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
                             A                 A
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
           Dm     Dm
Sex by the fire at night
                G          G
Silk sheets and diamonds all white
                             Em7                 Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
                             Am          G          F   Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like

                      G
If you say you want a good tiiiiiime
     Em7          A        A
Well here I am ba by, here I am ba by
F               Dm
Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me
               Em7          C
Tell me what's on your miiiiiind
F              E7             
 If you want it, girl come and get it
E    F   G   Am7     Am
All this is here for you
Dm          Dm              Em7
 Tell me baby, tell me, tell me baby
Am       G        Em7
 What you tryna do

             Dm       Dm
Gold jewelry shining so bright
           F        F
Strawberry champagne on ice
                             Em7                 Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
                             A                 A
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
           Dm     Dm
Sex by the fire at night
                F          F
Silk sheets and diamonds all white
                             Em7                 Em7
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like
                             Am          G          F   Em7  Am
Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like

End of song Play again?

Bruno Mars - Thats What I Like Tabs

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Harmony analysis

Bruno Mars – Thats What I Like: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Dm and ends on Am. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

C major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

A minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
#7 = G# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it comes to rest on Am, Am is heard 10 times against 1 for C and the major V chord points straight at Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.

Chord degrees: major and relative minor

Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.

Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.

Seen from C major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	C	Tonic — home	C · E · G	1×
ii	Dm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A	31×
iii7	Em7	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B · D	36×
V7/vi	E7	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B · D	1×
V/vi	E	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B	1×
IV	F	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	11×
V	G	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	26×
vi	Am	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E	9×
vi7	Am7	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E · G	1×
V/ii	A	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Dmsecondary dominant	A · C# · E	16×
V7/ii	A7	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Dmsecondary dominant	A · C# · E · G	3×
vii°	Bdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	B · D · F	—

Seen from A minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Am	Tonic — home	A · C · E	9×
i7	Am7	Tonic — home	A · C · E · G	1×
V/iv	A	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Dmsecondary dominant	A · C# · E	16×
V7/iv	A7	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Dmsecondary dominant	A · C# · E · G	3×
ii°	Bdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F	—
III	C	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G	1×
iv	Dm	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A	31×
v7	Em7	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B · D	36×
V7	E7	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B · D	1×
V	E	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B	1×
VI	F	Submediant — warm colour	F · A · C	11×
VII	G	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	26×

Analysis

The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 11 different chords appear 136 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E7 / E is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am. A, A7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

Dm G Cii → Vii → V Amiv → VII ×7
Em7 Am Ciii7 → vi Amv7 → inatural-minor cadence ×7
A7 Dm CV7/ii → iisecondary resolution AmV7/iv → iv ×3
G Am7 CV → vi7deceptive cadence AmVII → i7Aeolian arrival ×1
F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1

The move to watch is Dm → G, heard 7 times. From the Am side it is iv → VII; from the C side it reads ii → V (ii → V: the classic preparation of the dominant). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
Over Em7, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Dm, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
When E7 comes, swap the scale's G for G#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.

The song on the circle of fifths

Played in the song — chord of the key
Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
Played — borrowed or outside chord
Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii

Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.

Capo and easier keys

With C major shapes

No capo — open C shapes
Capo 3 + A shapes
Capo 5 + G shapes

With A minor shapes

No capo — open Am shapes
Capo 5 + Em shapes
Capo 7 + Dm shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.

The song's harmonic story

The opening Dm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is Em7, Dm, G, A — iii7–ii–V–V/ii from the C side, v7–iv–VII–V/iv from the Am side. A is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V/ii), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V/iv) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Dm → G (ii → V in C, iv → VII in Am): ii → V — the classic preparation of the dominant. Ending on Am, the song seals Am as home.

This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.