Thriller

How to play Thriller by Michael Jackson on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 4 you play G, Am, C, A#, A, Dm, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a fun, instantly recognizable song to learn, and it feels great once you lock in the groove. At about 120 BPM, you get a steady, driving motion that keeps the part moving without feeling rushed. It is a strong choice if you want something that sounds familiar right away and rewards clean timing.

You will spend time on both open shapes and barre shapes, so the left hand has a mix of comfort and challenge. E and D are the easier shapes, while B, C#m, C#, and F#m ask for more pressure and accuracy. Watch the move between B and C#m in the opening progression - that change is worth isolating until it feels smooth.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly: B - C#m - E - C#m. Then practice the open shapes on their own, followed by the barre shapes on their own, so each hand position feels secure. Once the changes are clean, bring it up to tempo in small steps and focus on staying relaxed through every shift.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.