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 - Black Or White - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords E, A, B Easy key G (capo 2)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
Riff (E akoru yerine bu riff çalınabilir)
E---------------------------------|---------------------|
B--X---10--10--10--10--10--9---X--|--7--7--7--7--7---9--|
G--X---9---9---9---9---9---9---X--|--9--9--9--9--9---9--|
D--X---10--10--10--10--10--9---X--|--7--7--7--7--7---9--|
A---------------------------------|---------------------|
E---------------------------------|---------------------|
E
I took my baby on a Saturday bang
Boy is that girl with you? Yes, we're one and the same.
A
Now I believe in miracles
E
And a miracle has happened tonight
B
But, if you're thinkin' about my baby
A E
It don't matter if you're black or white
E
They print my message in the Saturday Sun
I had to tell them, I ain't second to none
A
And I told about equality
E
And it's true, either you're wrong or you're right
B
But, if you're thinkin' about my baby
A E
It don't matter if you're black or white
E
I`m tired of this devil, I`m tired of this stuff
A E
I`m tired of this business, so when the going gets rough
E
I ain't scared of your brother, I ain't scared of no sheets
A E
I ain't scared of nobody, girl when the goin' gets mean
E
Protection for gangs, clubs, and nations
E
Causing grief in human relations
E
It's a turf war on a global scale
E
I'd rather hear both sides of the tale
E
See, it's not about races, just places, faces
E
Where your blood comes from is where your space is
E
I've seen the bright get duller
E
I'm not going to spend my life being a color
A
Don't tell me you agree with me,
E
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye
B
But, if you're thinkin' about my baby
A E
It don't matter if you're black or white
B
I said, if you're thinkin' about my baby
A E
It don't matter if you're black or white
B
I said, if you're thinkin' of being my brother
A E
It don't matter if you're black or white
End of song Play again?
Michael Jackson - Black Or White Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Michael Jackson – Black Or White: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on E. 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)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A major side because A is heard 10 times while F#m never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from F# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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 | 10× |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| V/V | B | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Esecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | 5× |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| III | C# | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C# · E# · G# | — |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | — |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | 22× |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | — |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | — |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | 10× |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| IV | B | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | B · D# · F# | 5× |
| v | C#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | C# · E · G# | — |
| V | C# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C# · E# · G# | — |
| VI | D | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A | — |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | 22× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 3 different chords appear 37 times in total; 2 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. B acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- E A AV → Iauthentic cadence F#mVII → III ×5
The move to watch is E → A, heard 5 times. From the A side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the F#m side it is VII → III. 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 E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — 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.
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 opening E lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are E, A, B; read them as V–I–V/V in A or VII–III–IV in F#m. B adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to E. Keep an ear on E → A (V → I in A, VII → III in F#m): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is E; the ear comes to rest in A.
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 - Black Or White 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.
Repertoires with this song
Similar songs, ready to play: pick a list.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.