Skip to song content

Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror Chords

ChordsG, D, Em, C, Am, A, Dm, Ab, Db, Eb, Bb, Ebm, Fm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

GI’mgonnaDmakeaEmchange,DforonceinmyClife
It’sgonnaGfeelrealDgood,gonnamakeaEmdifference,DgonnamakeitCright
AsGI,turnupDthecollarEmonmyfavorite
Dwintercoat,Cthiswindisblowingmymind
IseetheGkidsintheDstreet,withnotEmenoughtoeatD
WhoamI,Ctobeblind,pretendingnottoseetheirneeds
AmAsummer’sCdisregard,abrokenbottletop
CAndaoneman’sCsoul
TheyAmfolloweachotherontheCwindya’know
‘CausetheyCgotnowheretogoD
That’swhyIwantyoutoknowG
GI’mGstartingwiththeCmanintheDmirror
GI’mGaskinghimtoCchangehisDways
GAndnoGmessagecouldhaveCbeenanyAclearer
IfyouDmwannamaketheworldabetterplace
Takealookatyourself,andthenmakeaGchangeD
EmNanaDna,nananana,naCna,nana,uh-huhD
GI’vebeenaDvictimofEmaselfishDkindofClove,It’stimethatIrealize
ThereareGsomewithnoDhome,notaEmnickeltoloanD
CoulditbeCreallyme,pretendingthatthey’renotalone?
AmAwillowdeeplyCscarred,somebody’sbrokenheart
CAndawashed-outCdream
TheyAmfollowthepatternoftheCwind,ya’see
‘CausetheyCgotnoplacetoDbe
That’swhyI’mstartingwithGme
AbI’mAbstartingwiththeDbmanintheEbmirror
AbI’mAbaskinghimtoDbchangehisEbways
AbNoAbmessagecouldhaveDbbeenanyBbclearer
IfyouEbmwannamaketheworldabetterplace
AbTakeAbalookatDbyourselfandthenEbmakethechange
AbYouAbgottagetitDbright,whileEbyougotthetime
Ab’CauseAbwhenyoucloseDbyourheartEb
Thenyoucloseyour,Abmind
I’mAbstartingwiththeDbmanintheEbmirror
AbI’mAbaskinghimtoDbchangehisEbways
AbNoAbmessagecouldhaveDbbeenanyBbclearer
IfyouEbmwannamaketheworldabetterplace
TakealookatyourselfandthenmakethatAbchangeEb
FmNanaEbna,nananana,naDbna,na Ebna,ohAbyeahEb
FmNanaEbna,nananana,naDbna,nana,ohno,ohno
DbI’mgonnamakeachange
DbIt’sgonnafeelrealgood,comeon(change)
DbJustliftyourself,youknow
DbYou’vegottostopit,yourself
(Yeah,makethatchange)
DbI’vegottomakethatchange,today!hoo!(maninthemirror)
DbYougotto,yougottonotletyourselfbrother,Hoo!
(Yeah,makethatchange)
DbI’vegottogetthatman,thatman(maninthemirror)
DbYou’vegotto,you’vegottomove!comeon!comeon!
DbYougotto,standup!standup!standup!(Yeah,makethatchange)
DbStandupandliftyourself,now!(maninthemirror)
DbHoo!Hoo!Hoo!Aaow!
(Yeah,makethatchange)
DbGonnamakethatchange,comeon!(maninthemirror)
DbYouknowit!youknowit!youknowit!youknow
Db(Change)
Makethatchange
AlbumBad
GenresPop
Year1988
KeyG
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Man In The Mirror on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror on guitar requires 13 chords and 16 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Man In The Mirror uses these transitions most often: Ab → Db (9), Db → Eb (8), and Eb → Ab (8). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with G - D chord transition.

1. G → D chord transition

Switching from G to D:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

G to D

2. D → Em chord transition

Here's how to move from D to Em:

  1. While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

D to Em

3. D → C chord transition

To move from D to C:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

D to C

4. C → G chord transition

To move from C to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

C to G

5. C → Am chord transition

To move from C to Am:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

6. C → A chord transition

To move from C to A:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

7. A → Dm chord transition

Switching from A to Dm:

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

8. Dm → G chord transition

Switching from Dm to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

9. G → Ab chord transition

Here's how to move from G to Ab:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse.

10. Ab → Db chord transition

To move from Ab to Db:

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on A string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

11. Db → Eb chord transition

Switching from Db to Eb:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from A string fret 4 to B string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

12. Eb → Ab chord transition

Switching from Eb to Ab:

  1. While playing Eb, lift your pinky from B string fret 4.
  2. Keep index finger on D string fret 1.
  3. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 3 to E string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

13. Db → Bb chord transition

Switching from Db to Bb:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from A string fret 4 to B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

14. Bb → Ebm chord transition

Here's how to move from Bb to Ebm:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 3 to G string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
  4. Slide your pinky on B string from fret 3 to fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

15. Ebm → Ab chord transition

To move from Ebm to Ab:

  1. While playing Ebm, lift your pinky from B string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

16. Eb → Fm chord transition

Here's how to move from Eb to Fm:

  1. While playing Eb, lift your middle finger from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from B string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Man In The Mirror.

  • Man In The Mirror includes 96 chord transitions, 16 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Man In The Mirror contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Man In The Mirror connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Db, the most likely next chords across Chordier are Gb (24%), Bbm (18%), and Ab (11%).
    • Db → Eb: 8%
    • Db → Bb: 2%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → D: 11%