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Lady Gaga - Perfect Illusion Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsEm, D, C, Bm, A, B, F, G
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

[Opening]
[Em]Trying to get [D]control, [C]pressure’s taking its [Bm]toll
[Em]Stuck in the middle [D]zone, [C]I just want you [D]alone
[Em]My guessing game is [D]strong, [C]way too real to be [D]wrong
[Em]Caught up in your show, [D]yeah, at [C]least now I know

[verse 2]
It wasn’t [Em]love, [D]it wasn’t [C]love, [Bm]it was a
[Em]Perfect [D]illusion ([C]perfect [D]illusion)
Mistaken for [Em]love, [D]it wasn’t [C]love, [Bm]it was a
[Em]Perfect [D]illusion ([C]perfect [D]illusion)
[Em] [D]You were a [C]perfect illusion

[verse 3]
[Em]I don’t need eyes to [D]see, [C]I felt you touching [Bm]me
[Em]High like [D]amphetamine, [C]maybe you’re just a [D]dream
[Em]That’s what it means to [D]crush, [C]now that I’m waking [D]up
[Em]I still feel the [D]blow but at [C]least now I know [D]

[chorus]
It wasn’t [Em]love, [D]it wasn’t [C]love, [Bm]it was a
[Em]Perfect [D]illusion ([C]perfect [D]illusion)
Mistaken for [Em]love, [D]it wasn’t [C]love, [Bm]it was a
[Em]Perfect [D]illusion ([C]perfect [D]illusion)

[verse 4]
[Em]Where are you ’cause I can’t see, [D]but if I feel you watching me
[A]Dilated, falling free, [C]in a modern ecstasy

[verse 5]
[Em]Where were you ’cause I can’t see.
[D]Why did I feel you watching me.
[A]Why did I feel you watching me.
[C]Why did I feel you watching me.

[verse 6]
[Em]Where are you ’cause I can’t see, [D]but if I feel you watching me.
[A]Dilated, falling free, [C]in a modern ecstasy.
[Bm]In a modern ecstasy, [Bm]in a modern ecstasy.
[Bm]I’m over the show, but at [B]least now I know.

[chorus]
It wasn’t [F]love, [G]it wasn’t [D]love, [C]it was a
[F]Perfect [G]illusion ([D]perfect [C]illusion)
Mistaken for [F]love, [G]it wasn’t [D]love, [C]it was a
[F]Perfect [G]illusion ([D]perfect [C]illusion)

[verse 7]
[F] [G]Ahhhhhhh, [D] [C]ahhhhhh
[F]Ahhhhhhh, [G]you were a [D]perfect [C]illusion
[F] [G]Ahhhhhhh, [D] [C]ahhhhhh
[F]Ahhhhhhh, [G]it was a [D]perfect [C]illusion

[verse 8]
It was a perfect illusion, somewhere in all the confusion
It was a perfect illusion, illusion, illusion

[Closing]
[F]Where were you ’cause I [G]can’t see it[D] [C]
[F]But if I feel you [G]watching me[D] [C]
[F]Dilated, [G]falling free[D] [C]
[F]In a modern [G]ecstasy, you were a [D]perfect [C][F]illusion

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistLady Gaga
AlbumJoanne
GenresPop, Electronic
Year2016
KeyEm

How to play Perfect Illusion on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Lady Gaga - Perfect Illusion on guitar requires 8 chords and 12 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.

Perfect Illusion uses these transitions most often: D → C (29), Em → D (20), and C → F (12). 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 Em - D chord transition.

1. Em → D chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from Em to D;

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

2. D → C chord transition

Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

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.
D to C

3. C → Bm chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram

To move from C to Bm;

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

4. Bm → Em chord transition

Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from Bm to Em;

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

5. C → Em chord transition

To move from C to Em;

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

6. D → A chord transition

To move from D to A;

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

7. A → C chord transition

To move from A to C;

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

8. Bm → B chord transition

To move from Bm to B;

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

9. B → F chord transition

To move from B to F;

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

10. F → G chord transition

To move from F to G;

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

11. G → D chord transition

To move 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.

12. C → F chord transition

To move from C to F;

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

Perfect Illusion chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Perfect Illusion.

  • Perfect Illusion includes 128 chord transitions, 12 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Perfect Illusion contains 7 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Perfect Illusion connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → A: 17%
    • D → Em: 17%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → F: 16%
    • C → D: 11%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.