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 - The Way You Make Me Feel - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords E, D, A, G, B Easy key D (capo 7)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
E D
E D E D
Hey pretty baby with the high heels on
E D E D
You give me fever like I've never, ever known
E D E D
You're just a product of loveliness
E D E D
I like the groove of your walk, your talk, your dress
A G A G
I feel your fever from miles around
A G A B
I'll pick you up in my car and we'll paint the town
E D E D
Just kiss me baby and tell me twice
E D E
That you're the one for me
E D E
The way you make me feel (the way you make me feel)
D E D E
You really turn me on (you really turn me on)
D E D E
You knock me off of my feet (you knock me off of my feet)
D E D E D
My lonely days are gone (my lonely days are gone)
E D E D
I like the feelin' you're givin' me
E D E D
Just hold me baby and I'm in ecstasy
E D E D
Oh I'll be workin' from nine to five
E D E D
To buy you things to keep you by my side
A G A G
I never felt so in love before
A G A B
Just promise baby, you'll love me forevermore
E D E D
I swear I'm keepin' you satisfied
E D E
Cause you're the one for me
E D E
The way you make me feel (the way you make me feel)
D E D E
You really turn me on (you really turn me on)
D E D E
You knock me off of my feet (you knock me off of my feet)
D E D E D
My lonely days are gone (my lonely days are gone)
Go on girl!
Go on, hee, hee, aaow!
Go on girl!
A G A G
I never felt so in love before
A G A B
Just promise baby, you'll love me forevermore
E D E D
I swear I'm keepin you satisfied
E D E
Cause you're the one for me
E D E
The way you make me feel (the way you make me feel)
D E D E
You really turn me on (you really turn me on)
D E D E
You knock me off of my feet (you knock me off of my feet)
D E D E D
My lonely days are gone (my lonely days are gone)
The way you make me feel (the way you make me feel)
D E D E
You really turn me on (you really turn me on)
D E D E
You knock me off of my feet (you knock me off of my feet)
D E D E D
My lonely days are gone (my lonely days are gone)
D E D E
Ain't nobody's business, ain't nobody's business
D E D E D E
Ain't nobody's business, ain't nobody's business but mine and my baby
D E D E
Hee hee hee hee! ooh!
D E D E
Give it to me, give me some time
D E D E
Come on be my girl, I want you to be with mine
D E D E D E
Ain't nobody's business, ain't nobody's business but mine and my baby's
E D
E D E
The way you make me feel (the way you make me feel)
D E D E
You really turn me on (you really turn me on)
D E D E
You knock me off of my feet (you knock me off of my feet)
D E D E D
My lonely days are gone (my lonely days are gone)
The way you make me feel (the way you make me feel)
D E D E
You really turn me on (you really turn me on)
D E D E
You knock me off of my feet (you knock me off of my feet)
D E D E D
My lonely days are gone (my lonely days are gone)
End of song Play again?
Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on D. 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 12 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 | 12× |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| V/V | B | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Esecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | 3× |
| 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 | 87× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | 88× |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | — |
| bVII | G | bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord | G · B · D | 9× |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | — |
| bII | G | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | G · B · D | 9× |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | 12× |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| IV | B | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | B · D# · F# | 3× |
| 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 | 87× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | 88× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 5 different chords appear 199 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. B acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. G is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- D E AIV → VIV → V F#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×80
- G A AbVII → IbVII → I F#mbII → III ×9
- D A AIV → Iplagal cadence F#mVI → III ×3
The move to watch is D → E, heard 80 times. From the A side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the F#m side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). 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 D, land on D, F#, A — 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.
- On G, follow the chord's notes (G · B · D) 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
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening E lays a solid floor for everything that follows. E, D, A, G carry the song: V–IV–I–bVII relative to A, VII–VI–III–bII relative to F#m. B adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to E. Keep an ear on D → E (IV → V in A, VI → VII in F#m): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. It closes on D, letting the A side have the last word.
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 - The Way You Make Me Feel 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.