Burning Down The House by Talking Heads
Burning Down The House by Talking Heads in 4/4 and is in the key of D minor. It is built on 6 chords — G, F, Dm, A, G5, F5. Released in 1983.
✓ Key sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected. See how we verify →
What to watch for
At least one shape here is a full barre — one finger pressing all six strings, no open strings to lean on. Fret it unplugged first; if a string buzzes, it's the barre, not the chord. Some of these are power chords — just the root and fifth, no third — which is why they sit cleanly under distortion without fighting the vocal's major or minor feel.
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Play it on a live fretboard
Every shape, every voicing, and the scale that fits over them — on a board you can hear. Then just talk to it: Melody Monkey's personal music teacher controls the fretboard, so ask for a chord, a scale, a progression, or why any of it works, and watch it land under your fingers. Free to start.
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Frequently asked questions
What key is Burning Down The House in?
Burning Down The House is in D minor, sourced from the McGill Billboard Project's expert chord annotations — not auto-detected.
What chords does Burning Down The House use?
Burning Down The House is built on 6 chords: G, F, Dm, A, G5, F5.
Does Burning Down The House need barre chords?
Yes — at least one shape is a full barre (one finger across all six strings). Everything else on the page is a standard open shape.