Instructor

Jonny May

Lesson Type

Quick Tip

Skill Level

Intermediate

Duration

08:17

What do Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Smooth Criminal, and P.Y.T. all have in common?

Besides being Michael Jackson songs that are permanently stuck in our heads… 😎

They all use the same fascinating chord.

And once you hear it, you’ll start noticing it everywhere.

In this lesson, we’re breaking down what I like to call the “Michael Jackson chord.”

It’s not your typical major or minor chord. It’s actually a polychord — basically, two chords stacked on top of each other to create this intense, mysterious sound.

And Michael was REALLY good at using it.

The cool part is that he didn’t just play the chord straight.

He took the notes from the chord and used them to create:

🎹 Bass lines
🎹 Right-hand chords
🎹 Melodic riffs
🎹 Different chord shapes
🎹 And some seriously catchy grooves

We’ll look at how he uses the same harmonic idea across several of his biggest hits — and how he cleverly leaves notes out to create even more interesting bass lines and melodies.

Once you understand what he was doing, you can start hearing the same idea in a completely different way.

And then, of course, I’ll show you exactly how to play the chord yourself.

Fair warning: you may never hear Billie Jean the same way again. 😂

Writer

Jonny May

Jonathan May is a pianist from Southern California who specializes in many styles of piano. At age eighteen, Jonny became the youngest pianist to perform at Disneyland. Each week he entertained thousands of guests with his arrangements of American classics and Disney songs. Jonny has also performed with the Youtube...

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