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 - Bad - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords Bbm7, Eb9, Cm7, Dm7, Eb5, F5, G5, Ab Easy key C#
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
Eb5 F5 G5 Ab
Your body is mine
Gonna tell you right
Just show your face
In broad daylight
I'm telling you
On how i feel
Gonna hurt your mind
Don't shoot to kill
Come on
Come on
Lay it on me
All right
I'm giving you
On count of three
To show your stuff
Or let it be
I'm telling you
Just watch your mouth
I know your game
What you're about
Cm7 Dm7 Cm7 Dm7
Well, they say, the sky's the limit, and to me that's really true
Cm7 Dm7 F7/9
But, my friend, you have seen nothin', just wait 'til i get through
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
Because I'm bad, I'm bad, come on
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You know I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You know I'm bad, I'm bad, come on, you know
Bbm7 Eb9
And the whole world has to answer right now
Bbm7 Eb9
Just to tell you once again, who's bad
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
The word is out, you're doin' wrong
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
Gonna lock you up before too long
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
Your lyin' eyes gonna tell you right
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
So listen up, don't make a fight
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
Your talk is cheap, you're not a man
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You're throwin' stones, to hide your hands
Cm7 Dm7 Cm7 Dm7
Well, they say, the sky's the limit, and to me that's really true
Cm7 Dm7 F7/9
But, my friend, you have seen nothin', just wait 'til I get through
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
Because I'm bad, I'm bad, come on
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You know I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You know I'm bad, I'm bad, come on, you know
Bbm7 Eb9
And the whole world has to answer right now
Bbm7 Eb9
Just to tell you once again, who's bad
Cm7 Dm7 Cm7 Dm7
We can change the world tomorrow, this could be a better place
Cm7 Dm7 F7/9
If you don't like what i'm sayin', then won't you slap my face
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
Because I'm bad, I'm bad, come on
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You know I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it
Bbm7 Eb9 Bbm7 Eb9
You know I'm bad, I'm bad, come on, you know
Bbm7 Eb9
And the whole world has to answer right now
Bbm7 Eb9
Just to tell you once again, who's bad
End of song Play again?
Michael Jackson - Bad Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Michael Jackson – Bad: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Eb5 and ends on Eb9. 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: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between A major and F# minor. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
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 | — |
| bii7 | Bbm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Bb · Db · F · Ab | 36× |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| biii7 | Cm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · Eb · G · Bb | 6× |
| 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 | — |
| iv7 | Dm7 | Minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | D · F · A · C | 6× |
| #IV7 | Eb9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · G · Bb · Db · F | 36× |
| #IV | Eb5 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · Bb | 1× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | — |
| bVI | F5 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | F · C | 1× |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | — |
| bVII | G5 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | G · D | 1× |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| VII | Ab | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Ab · C · Eb | 1× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | — |
| bII | G5 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | G · D | 1× |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| II | Ab | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Ab · C · Eb | 1× |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | — |
| #iii7 | Bbm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Bb · Db · F · Ab | 36× |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| #iv7 | Cm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · Eb · G · Bb | 6× |
| 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 | — |
| vi7 | Dm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F · A · C | 6× |
| #VI7 | Eb9 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · G · Bb · Db · F | 36× |
| #VI | Eb5 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Eb · Bb | 1× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | — |
| #VII | F5 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | F · C | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 8 different chords appear 88 times in total; 0 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Dm7 is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
There's no textbook cadence here; the chords circle around each other in a loop, so the song feels more like a groove than a series of arrivals.
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 Bbm7, land on Bb, Db, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Eb9, land on Eb, G, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Cm7, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On Dm7, follow the chord's notes (D · F · A · C) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
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
- 4 semitones up
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Eb5; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is Bbm7, Eb9, Cm7, Dm7 — bii7–#IV7–biii7–iv7 from the A side, #iii7–#VI7–#iv7–vi7 from the F#m side. Dm7 briefly darkens the picture: minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minor. Ending on Eb9, the song seals A 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 - Bad 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.