Major view
B major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = A# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = E (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Madonna - Express Yourself - Chord
Key B major – G# minor Chords Gb, B, E Easy key A (capo 2)
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Key: B | Abm | G#m
Capo: 0
Gb E B Gb
Gb E
Come on girls
B Gb
Do you believe in love
Gb E
'Cause I got something to say about it
B Gb
And it goes something like this
Gb E
Don't go for second best baby
B Gb
Put your love to the test
Gb
You know, you know, you've got to
Gb E
Make him express how he feels
B Gb
And maybe then you'll know your love is real
Gb E
You don't need diamond rings
B Gb
Or eighteen karat gold
Gb E
Fancy cars that go very fast
B Gb
You know they never last, no, no
Gb E
What you need is a big strong hand
B Gb
To lift you to your higher ground
Gb E
Make you feel like a queen on a throne
B Gb
Make him love you till you can't come down
Gb
Gb E
Don't go for second best baby
B Gb
Put your love to the test
Gb
You know, you know, you've got to
Gb E
Make him express how he feels
B Gb
And maybe then you'll know your love is real
Gb E
Long stem roses are the way to your heart
B Gb
But he needs to start with your head
Gb E
Satin sheets are very romantic
B Gb
What happens when you're not in bed
Gb E
You deserve the best in life
B Gb
So if the time isn't right then move on
Gb E
Second best is never enough
B Gb
You'll do much better baby on your own
Gb
Gb E
Don't go for second best baby
B Gb
Put your love to the test
Gb
You know, you know, you've got to
Gb E
Make him express how he feels
B Gb
And maybe then you'll know your love is real
Gb E
Express yourself
B
Express himself
Gb
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Gb E
So if you want it right now, make him show you how
B Gb
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not
Gb E
And when you're gone he might regret it
B Gb
Think about the love he once had
Gb E
Try to carry on, but he just won't get it
B Gb
He'll be back on his knees
Gb E
To express himself
B
Express himself
Gb
Hey hey
Gb E
What you need is a big strong hand
B Gb
To lift you to your higher ground
Gb E
Make you feel like a queen on a throne
B Gb
Make him love you till you can't come down
Gb
Gb E
And when you're gone he might regret it
B Gb
Think about the love he once had
Gb E
Try to carry on, but he just won't get it
B Gb
He'll be back on his knees
Gb
So please
Gb E
Don't go for second best baby
B Gb
Put your love to the test
Gb
You know, you know, you've got to
Gb E
Make him express how he feels
B B
And maybe then you'll know your love is real
Gb E
Express yourself
B
Express himself
Gb
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Gb E
So if you want it right now, make him show you how
B Gb
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not
Gb E
Express yourself
B
Express himself
Gb
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Gb E
So if you want it right now, make him show you how
B Gb
Express what he's got, oh baby ready or not
End of song Play again?
Madonna - Express Yourself Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Madonna – Express Yourself: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Gb and ends on Gb. Its chords belong to both B major and G#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
G# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = E (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = F# (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the B major side because B is heard 33 times while G#m never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from G# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to B or to G#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 | B | Tonic — home | B · D# · F# | 33× |
| ii | C#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G# | — |
| iii | D#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | D# · F# · A# | — |
| III | D# | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D# · G · A# | — |
| IV | E | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G# · B | 32× |
| V | Gb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Gb · Bb · Db | 71× |
| vi | G#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | G# · B · D# | — |
| vii° | A#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | A# · C# · E | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | G#m | Tonic — home | G# · B · D# | — |
| ii° | A#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A# · C# · E | — |
| III | B | Relative major — the bright side | B · D# · F# | 33× |
| iv | C#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | C# · E · G# | — |
| v | D#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | D# · F# · A# | — |
| V | D# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | D# · G · A# | — |
| VI | E | Submediant — warm colour | E · G# · B | 32× |
| VII | Gb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Gb · Bb · Db | 71× |
Analysis
The key pair is B major and its relative G# minor (5 sharps). 3 different chords appear 136 times in total; 3 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
- E B BIV → Iplagal cadence G#mVI → III ×32
The move to watch is E → B, heard 32 times. From the B side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the G#m side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- B major pentatonic and G# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (B – C# – D# – F# – G#): start from B for a brighter phrase, from G# for a bluesier one.
- Over Gb, land on Gb, Bb, Db — 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 E, land on E, G#, B — 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 B major shapes
- Capo 2 + A shapes
- Capo 4 + G shapes
- Capo 7 + E shapes
With G# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Em shapes
- Capo 6 + 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 Gb lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Gb, B, E; read them as V–I–IV in B or VII–III–VI in G#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on E → B (IV → I in B, VI → III in G#m): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on Gb, the song seals B 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.
Madonna - Express Yourself 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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