Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Madonna - Burning Up - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords D, Bm, E, G, A, Gb Easy key G (capo 7)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
D
Bm D E
Bm D E
Don't put me off, 'cause I'm on fire
Bm D A
And I can't quench my desire
Bm D E
Don't you know that I'm burning up for your love
Bm D A
You're not convinced that that is enough
Bm D E
I put myself in this position
Bm D A
And I deserve the imposition
Bm D E
But you don't even know I'm alive
Bm D A
And this pounding in my heart just won't die
Bm
I'm burning up
G D E
I'm burning up, burning up for your love
G D E
I'm burning up, burning up for your love
G D E
I'm burning up, burning up for your love
Gb
For your love
Bm D E
You're always closing your door
Bm D A
Well, that only makes me want you more
Bm D E
And day and night, I cry for your love
Bm D A
You're not convinced that that is enough
Bm D E
To justify my wanting you
Bm D A
Now tell me what you want me to do
Bm D E
I'm not blind, and I know
Bm D A
That you want to want me, but you can't let go
Bm
C'mon, let go
G D E
I'm burning up, burning up for your love
G D E
I'm burning up, burning up for your love
G D E
I'm burning up, burning up for your love
Gb
For your love, oh
Bm D
Do you wanna see me down on my knees
Bm D
Or bending over backwards, now, would you be pleased
Bm D
Unlike the others, I'd do anything
G Gb
I'm not the same, I have no shame
Bm D E
I'm on fire
Bm D A
Bm
C'mon, let go
G D E
G D E
G D E
Gb
Bm D
Do you wanna see me down on my knees
Bm D
Or bending over backwards, now, would you be pleased
Bm D
Unlike the others, I'd do anything
G Gb
I'm not the same, I have no shame
G D E
I'm on fire
End of song Play again?
Madonna - Burning Up Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Madonna – Burning Up: key and chord analysis
The song opens on D and ends on E. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = A# (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 D major side because it opens on D, D is heard 36 times against 28 for Bm and the major V chord points straight at Bm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from B minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to D or to Bm; 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 | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 36× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | — |
| V/V | E | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Asecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 20× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/vi | Gb | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | Gb · Bb · Db | 5× |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 12× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 9× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 28× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 28× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 36× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | — |
| IV | E | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | E · G# · B | 20× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V | Gb | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | Gb · Bb · Db | 5× |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 12× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 9× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 6 different chords appear 110 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Bm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from D, the same Gb is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Bm. E acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- G D DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×10
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×9
- Gb Bm DV/vi → vi BmV → iharmonic-minor cadence ×4
The move to watch is G → D, heard 10 times. From the D side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Bm side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — 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 E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When Gb comes, swap the scale's A for A#: 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 D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is D; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are D, Bm, E, G; read them as I–vi–V/V–IV in D or III–i–IV–VI in Bm. Gb is the interesting twist: in D it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Bm it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on G → D (IV → I in D, VI → III in Bm): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is E; the ear comes to rest in D.
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.
Madonna - Burning Up 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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