Major view
A major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = D (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords F#m, Bm, D, C#7 Easy key G (capo 2)
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Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
F#m
F#m
She was more like a beauty queen, from a movie scene
Bm
I said; don't mind, but what do you mean, I am the one
F#m
Who will dance on the floor, in the round
Bm F#m
She said, I am the one, who will dance on the floor, in the round
F#m
She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene
Bm
Then every head turned, with eyes that dreamed of being the one
F#m
Who will dance on the floor, in the round
D F#m
People always told me; be careful what you do
D F#m
And don't go around breaking young girl's hearts
D F#m
And mother always told me; be careful of who you love
D C#7
And be careful of what you do, 'cos the lie becomes the truth
F#m
Billie Jean is not my lover
Bm
She's just a girl who, claims that I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
Bm
She says; I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
F#m
For forty days and forty nights, the law was on her side
Bm
But who can stand, when she's in demand, her schemes and plans
F#m
Cos we danced on the floor, in the round
F#m
So take my strong advice; just remember to always think twice
F#m
Do think twice
F#m
She told my baby we'd danced 'till three, then she looked a me
Bm
Then showed a photo; my baby cried, his eyes looked like mine
F#m
Go on dance on the floor, in the round, baby
D F#m
People always told me; be careful what you do
D F#m
And don't go around breaking young girl's hearts
D F#m
She came and stood right by me; then the smell of sweet perfume
D C#7
This happened much too soon; she called me to her room
F#m
Billie Jean is not my lover
Bm
She's just a girl who, claims that I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
Bm
She says; I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
F#m
Billie Jean is not my lover
Bm
She's just a girl who, claims that I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
Bm
She says; I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
F#m Bm
She says; I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
Bm
She says; I am the one
F#m
But the kid is not my son
F#m
Billie Jean is not my lover
F#m
Billie Jean is not my lover
End of song Play again?
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean: key and chord analysis
The song opens on F#m and ends on F#m. Its chords belong to both A major and F#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = D (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = E (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = E# (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 F# minor side because it both starts and finishes on F#m, F#m is heard 32 times while A never appears and the major V chord points straight at F#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from A 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 A or to F#m; 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 | A | Tonic — home | A · C# · E | — |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | 13× |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| V7/vi | C#7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to F#msecondary dominant | C# · E# · G# · B | 2× |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | 8× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | — |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | 32× |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | 32× |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | — |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | 13× |
| v | C#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | C# · E · G# | — |
| V7 | C#7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C# · E# · G# · B | 2× |
| VI | D | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A | 8× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | — |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 4 different chords appear 55 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of F#m brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from A, the same C#7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for F#m.
Chord movement
- Bm F#m Aii → vi F#miv → iminor plagal ×13
- D F#m AIV → vi F#mVI → iVI → i ×6
- C#7 F#m AV7/vi → visecondary resolution F#mV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×2
The move to watch is Bm → F#m, heard 13 times. From the F#m side it is iv → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the A side it reads ii → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (A – B – C# – E – F#): start from A for a brighter phrase, from F# for a bluesier one.
- Over F#m, land on F#, A, C# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bm, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When C#7 comes, swap the scale's E for E#: 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 A major shapes
- No capo — open A shapes
- Capo 2 + G shapes
- Capo 5 + E shapes
With F# minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Em shapes
- Capo 4 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 3 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is F#m; the ear learns where home is within a second. F#m, Bm, D, C#7 carry the song: vi–ii–IV–V7/vi relative to A, i–iv–VI–V7 relative to F#m. C#7 is the interesting twist: in A it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in F#m it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Bm → F#m (ii → vi in A, iv → i in F#m): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. Ending on F#m, the song seals F#m 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.
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean 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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