Rolling Music Theory Thread

Replace "4" with "a" in the URL as always.

Cool!

First chord of "Starman" seems to be what I think of as a Flamenco chord, Bflat chord under an E, Bb Lydian some might call it.

No seventh through.

I'm hearing A with that chord and not E.

Bb Maj 7? Or a whole different chord?

I heard it as what would be a B flat barre chord with an open E instead of an F on top. But my ear is lousy, who knows. Will check again come the morn.

OK, I am hearing that high E. It seems like there's a lower A in there somewhere, too.

Hm. Maybe certainly there is an A in the chord when it goes to F. And the "telegraph" lick is an A.

This guy is playing it like me, but
This other guy puts the A in the bass like you do.

Wrote on the Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Pretty Song from Psych-Out." Basic idea was to see how many key centers it has and I end up saying seven. Such a great song!

http://thisiheard.blogspot.com

re starman: it sounds almost like a b-flat major triad and an a-minor triad being played at the same time? May be two guitars or a very oddly tuned guitar.

Possible.

Feel like it goes to F, maybe you are hearing the top three notes of Fmaj7, unless there is not F in the bass, just the A minor triad. Perhaps the Bb chord is struck and still ringing when the other chord is played.

What is third chord of "Little Red Corvette"? Seems like it definitely changes from verse to chorus. Both start F# G#. Then for chorus third chord is a Bbm, but on verse it is some kind of Bbm9 ( no third)- like an Fmin triad first inversion over a Bb.

For consistency probably should call those first two Gb and Ab.

Okay maybe related chord of Db in that place on the chorus every other time.

Sorry to not have attempted to respond to this James Redd, but do not own a copy of the song.

Wrote on Camper Van Beethoven's "Folly," from the third album:

http://thisiheard.blogspot.com/2016/07/camper-van-beethoven-folly-1986.html

S'okay, Tim it is a pretty simple song, and popular and on YouTube.

Yeah. Do you still hear the ninth in the Bb minor chord?

I haven't listened in a few weeks. Took a little break from listening to The Artist.

He is known for playing the ninth in chords though, especially in a major chord, often without a third.

Have you noticed the raised 6th in the bg vocals on the first chord of the chorus of "Rolling In The Deep"? I just heard that for the first time. Weird and interesting and I wonder what motivated that decision!

Yeah, no idea.

The verses on R.E.M.'s "9-9" start on the consequent rather than the antecedent line of the lyrics (i.e., if it's seven lines and you're looking at them as antecedent and consequent, it's BABABAB).

"Fox on the Run" is in B mixolydian and then E ionian in the chorus, right?

Will listen for it when I can over the next couple of days, maybe on the plane tomorrow!

Me too. A good holiday project, like the Great Eastern Throwdown upthread vis-a-vis "Sweet Home Alabama."

Another mixolydian song:

http://thisiheard.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-bangles-real-world-1982.html

(Just got to "Fox" and I think I agree with you.)

Revive! For annual Easter weekend "Werewolves of London" vs. SHA throwdown.

The most chaotic I-IV-V song:

http://thisiheard.blogspot.com/2017/04/public-nuisance-magical-music-box-1968.html

Hm, that is pretty interesting. Thanks for sharing it.

wow that's a great tune!

For future reference: http://www.jargstorff.us/2011/bebop-scales/. Looks reasonably organized and thorough.

Edited the Public Nuisance post because it was impossible to follow and new one on an '83 Jonathan Richman song.

Hey guys, I have a fairly easy question: does this chord have a name?
http://i.imgur.com/wPmsfGn.jpg

Sorry if that tab is written in an unfamiliar format. To clarify, the low E is muted, the A + D are fretted at the third fret, the G is fretted at the second fret, and the B and high e are open. It's basically an E major chord shape, but moved one fret up.

I use it a lot and when I was trying out pedals today in Guitar Center (yeah, like I need more pedals — I know, I know) I was kind of hitting it over and over while twiddling knobs, one of the store clerks asked me what chord I was playing when I realized I actually had no idea.

Fmaj7#11

Or maybe Fmaj7#11/C, the way you are playing it

Seems like you could also let the low E ring or play the low F there as well.

That chord is used in the opening to "ocean size"

I figured it had to be some sort of variant of the Fmaj7 family. In fact, that's always how I play Fmaj7: just adding the first fret on the B and leaving the high e open.

Thanks =)

Dorian Vs Lydian FITE

Another chord name question: what is this one called?
http://i.imgur.com/7coXdFA.jpg

To clarify: both the low E and high e are muted, the A is fretted at the third fret, D at the second fret, G at the fourth fret, and B at the third fret.

I also use it very frequently and I figure I should know what it is if I'm going to be playing it.

Cmaj9

that's a major 9 chord with no fifth

C E B D

xpost

The steely special

I thank you again!

That shape is also really nice to just go up and down the fretboard with. It really helps me get new ideas started.

Cmaj7sus2

I think "Cmaj9" is a better label for that chord than "Cmaj7sus2". "Sus" usually indicates that the third of the chord has been replaced by the suspension, which is not the case here. The D is even voiced as a 9th above the root here; it is a textbook maj9 chord.

(Personally, I would prefer not to describe anything as a suspension unless it is actually prepared and resolved like a classical suspension but I'm weird.)