Major view
Gb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Cb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Justin Timberlake - Selfish - Chord
Key Gb major – Eb minor Chords Db/Gb, B, Gb, Ebm, Db Easy key G
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Key: Gb | D#m | Ebm
Capo: 0
B Db/Gb Gb Db/Gb Ebm
B Db/Gb
If they saw what I saw
Gb
They would fall the way I fell
Db/Gb Ebm
But they don't know what you want
B
And baby, I would never tell
Db/Gb
If they knew what I know
Gb
They would never let you go
Db/Gb
So guess what
Ebm
I ain't ever lettin' you go
B
'Cause your lips were made for mine
Db/Gb
And my heart would go flatline
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
If it wasn't beatin' for you all the time
B Db/Gb
So if I get jealous, I can't help it
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
I want every bit of you, I guess I'm selfish
B Db/Gb
It's bad for my mental, but I can't fight it when
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
You're out lookin' like you do, but you can't hide it, no
B
Put you in a frame, ooh, baby, who could blame you
Db/Gb
Glad your mama made you
Gb Db/Gb
Makin' me insane, you cannot be explained, ooh
Ebm
You must be an angel
B Db/Gb
Every time the phone rings
Gb
I hope that it's you on the other side
Db/Gb Ebm
I wanna tell you everything
B
Everything that's on my mind
Db
And I don't want any other guys
Gb
Takin' my place, girl, I got too much pride
Db/Gb Ebm
I know I may be wrong
But I don't wanna be right
B
'Cause your lips were made for mine
Db/Gb
And my heart would go flatline
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
If it wasn't beatin' for you all the time
B Db/Gb
So if I get jealous, I can't help it
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
I want every bit of you, I guess I'm selfish
B Db/Gb
It's bad for my mental, but I can't fight it when
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
You're out lookin' like you do, but you can't hide it, no
B
Put you in a frame, ooh, baby, who could blame you
Db/Gb
Glad your mama made you
Gb Db/Gb
Makin' me insane, you cannot be explained, ooh
Ebm
You must be an angel
B
Put you in a frame, ooh, baby, who could blame you
Db/Gb
Glad your mama made you
Gb Db/Gb
Makin' me insane, you cannot be explained, ooh
Ebm
You must be an angel
B
Owner of my heart
Db/Gb
Tattooed your mark
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
There for the whole world to see
B
You're the owner of my heart
Db/Gb
And all my scars
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
Baby, you got such a hold on me, so
B Db/Gb
So if I get jealous, I can't help it
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
I want every bit of you, I guess I'm selfish
B Db/Gb
It's bad for my mental, but I can't fight it when
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
You're out lookin' like you do, but you can't hide it, no
B
Put you in a frame, ooh, baby, who could blame you
Db/Gb
Glad your mama made you
Gb Db/Gb
Makin' me insane, you cannot be explained, ooh
Ebm
You must be an angel
B
Put you in a frame, ooh, baby, who could blame you
Db/Gb
Glad your mama made you
Gb Db/Gb
Makin' me insane, you cannot be explained, ooh
Ebm
You must be an angel
B Db/Gb
Jealous, but I can't help it
Gb Db/Gb Ebm
I want every bit of you, I guess I'm selfish
End of song Play again?
Justin Timberlake - Selfish Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Justin Timberlake – Selfish: key and chord analysis
The song opens on B and ends on Ebm. Its chords belong to both Gb major and Ebm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Eb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Cb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Db (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Eb minor side because it comes to rest on Ebm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Gb 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 Gb or to Ebm; 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.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Gb | Tonic — home | Gb · Bb · Db | 21× |
| ii | Abm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Ab · Cb · Eb | — |
| iii | Bbm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V/vi | Bb | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Ebmsecondary dominant | Bb · D · F | — |
| IV | B | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D# · F# | 21× |
| V | Db/Gb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Db · F · Ab | 41× |
| V | Db | Dominant — strongest pull home | Db · F · Ab | 1× |
| vi | Ebm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Eb · Gb · Bb | 21× |
| vii° | Fdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F · Ab · Cb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Ebm | Tonic — home | Eb · Gb · Bb | 21× |
| ii° | Fdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · Cb | — |
| III | Gb | Relative major — the bright side | Gb · Bb · Db | 21× |
| iv | Abm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Ab · Cb · Eb | — |
| v | Bbm | Minor dominant — soft pull | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V | Bb | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | Bb · D · F | — |
| VI | B | Submediant — warm colour | B · D# · F# | 21× |
| VII | Db/Gb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Db · F · Ab | 41× |
| VII | Db | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Db · F · Ab | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is Gb major and its relative Eb minor (6 flats). 5 different chords appear 105 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- Db/Gb Ebm GbV → videceptive cadence EbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×21
- Db/Gb Gb GbV → Iauthentic cadence EbmVII → III ×20
- B Db/Gb GbIV → VIV → V EbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×20
- Db Gb GbV → Iauthentic cadence EbmVII → III ×1
- B Db GbIV → VIV → V EbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1
The move to watch is Db/Gb → Ebm, heard 21 times. From the Ebm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the Gb side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected Gb, lands on Ebm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Gb major pentatonic and Eb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Gb – Ab – Bb – Db – Eb): start from Gb for a brighter phrase, from Eb for a bluesier one.
- Over Db/Gb, land on Db, F, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gb, land on Gb, Bb, Db — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
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 Gb major shapes
- Capo 2 + E shapes
- Capo 4 + D shapes
- Capo 6 + C shapes
With Eb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Dm shapes
- Capo 6 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 1 semitone up
- 3 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The opening B lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The backbone is Db/Gb, B, Gb, Ebm — V–IV–I–vi from the Gb side, VII–VI–III–i from the Ebm side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Db/Gb → Ebm (V → vi in Gb, VII → i in Ebm): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. The final chord is Ebm; the ear comes to rest in Ebm.
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.
Justin Timberlake - Selfish Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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