Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm your's) - Stevie Wonder.

OOoooh Yeaaaah Babbbyyyy. Try to sing that in the intro.

Anyway, who is a better songwriter than Stevie Wonder? Hall of fame musician, first ballot in my book.

Here is the breakdown:

INTRO / RIFF

F mixo riff x2                Notes: F-Eb-D-C-Bb-A-F  

VERSEA (leads into another verse)

F     -Dm - F   - Dm      

       Bb7-Bb7/C- Riff x2

        

VERSE B(leads into chorus)

F     -Dm - F   - Dm      

Bb7        -Bb7/C   -  Eb    -   Eb

        

CHORUS

F7-Eb/G- Bb-Bbx4

Then Riff x2 before going to Verse again. 

Intro Riff inTab

      

E|--1----------------------

B|-----4--3--1-------------

G|--------------3--1h2-----

D|----------------------3--

A|-------------------------

E|-------------------------

Verse A

Like a fool I went and stayed too long
Now I'm wondering if your love's still strong
Oo, baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!

Verse BThen that time I went and said goodbye
Now I'm back and not ashamed to cry
Oo, baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!

ChorusHere I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours

Riff x2I've done a lot of foolish things
That I really didn't mean, didn't I?

Verse ASeen a lot of things in this old world
When I touch them, they mean nothing, girl
Oo, baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!

Verse BOowee baby, you set my soul on fire
That's why I know you're my heart's only desire

ChorusHere I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours

I shot the sheriff - Bob Marley and the Wailers

I  shot the sheriff

Riff:

E|--3--------------------------

B|-----6--3--------3-----------

G|-----------5--3-----5--3-----

D|--------------------------5--

A|-----------------------------

E|-----------------------------

So it’s easy the verse is  Eb – Dm – Gm x4

The Chorus is Gm – Dm  x2

Preceded by the riff

The way to play it is pretty fast reggae, play the chords downbeat on beat 2 and 4, try to concentrate on high notes (string 1 to 4). You can if you want play the double stroke, meaning down & up very quickly on beats 2 and 4 again to create more a strong reggae feel.

For Improvisation, a good old G minor scale and minor penta should work fine on there.

RIFF

Gm  - Dm

I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy

Gm  - Dm

I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy

Verse I

Eb – Dm – Gm

All around in my hometown

Eb – Dm – Gm

They're tryin' to track me down, yeah

Eb – Dm – Gm

They say they want to bring me in guilty

Eb – Dm – Gm

For the killing of a deputy, for the life of a deputy

RIFF . But I say, oh, now, now...

Chorus

Oh, I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self defense

Ooh, ooh, ooh

I said, I shot the sheriff, Oh Lord

And they say it is a capital offense

Ooh, ooh, ooh

Hear this

Verse II

Sheriff John Brown always hated me

For what I don't know

Ev'ry time I plant a seed

He said, "Kill it before it grows."

He said, "Kill them before they grow."

Chorus II

I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self defense

Ooh, ooh, ooh

Where was the deputy?

I said I shot the sheriff but I swear it was in self defense

Verse III

Freedom came my way one day

And I started out of town, yeah!

All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown

Aiming to shoot me down

So I shot, I shot, I shot him down

And I say, if I am guilty I will pay

Chorus III

I shot the sheriff, but I say, but I didn't shoot no deputy

Ooh, no, oh

I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy

Ooo, ooo, ooh

Verse IV

Reflexes had the better of me

And what is to be must be

Ev'ry day the bucket a-go-a well

One day the bottom a-go drop out

One day the bottom a-go drop out

I say, I, I, ...

Chorus

I, I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot the deputy, no

(Repeat)

I heard it through the Grapevine

Woooww Woooww I heard it through the grapevine. GREAT song, most notable version by Marvin Gaye, just rocks. Remember to sing it angry, you just realized your girl cheated on you.

There are basically two parts:
Intro, Riffs
Ebm - Ab
Play the Ab in a triad on first 3 strings, higher pitch than the Ebm.

Chorus

Ebm - Ebm - Bb - Ab
Ebm - Ebm - Bb - Ab

Verse
Ebm - Ebm - Bb - Ab
Ebm - Ebm - Bb - Ab
Cm - Ab - Ebm - Ab

In a band:
Play the chords on the upbeat (on 2 and 4). Keyboards plays the riffs.
After Verse and Chorus, then you go into 4 measures or 8 of the Intro / Riff part. Play that part not very loud, just a few arrangements, a few notes of the Ebm scale. Then come back strong for the Verse.

Verse
Ebm - Ebm
Ooh, I bet you're wondering how I knew
Bb - Ab
About you plans to make me blue
Ebm - Ebm
With some other guy that you knew before.
Bb - Ab
Between the two of us guys You know I love you more.
Cm - Ab
It took me by surprise I must say,
Ebm - Ab
When I found out yesterday.
Don't you know that...


Chorus
Ebm - Ebm
I heard it through the grapevine
Bb - Ab
Not much longer would you be mine.
Ebm - Ebm
Oh I heard it through the grapevine,
Bb - Ab
Oh and I'm just about to lose my mind.
Honey, honey yeah.


I know that a man ain't supposed to cry,
But these tears I can't hold inside.
Losin' you would end my life you see,
'Cause you mean that much to me.
You could have told me yourself
That you love someone else.
Instead...

(Chorus)

People say believe half of what you see,
Son, and none of what you hear.
I can't help bein' confused
If it's true please tell me dear?
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don't you know...

(Chorus)

Honey Honey I know
That you're letting me go
said, "I heard it through the grapvine"
Heard it theought the grapevine......

Nobody Knows You (when you're down and out)

Clapton !

Recently played at the Sandy relief concert with just one bass and a drummer on acoustic guitar. Check it out on youtube very cool.

So:
C - E7 - A7 - Dm
A7 - Dm - F - F#dim
C - A7 - D7 - G7

He plays almost everything in the open. A7, he plays the regular A shape then adds the 7 (G) either on the 6th string or 1st string or both. A bit unusual to play the 7th on the 6th string. He plays the F# on the 6th string as well for F#dim (F#,A,C,D#), which you could play on the 1st string.


Over and over.

C - E7 - A7
Once I lived the life of a millionaire,
Dm - A7 - Dm
Spent all my money, I just did not care.
F - F#dim - C - A7
Took all my friends out for a good time,
D7 - G7 
Bought bootleg whiskey, champagne and wine.

Then I began to fall so low,
Lost all my good friends, I did not have nowhere to go.
I get my hands on a dollar again,
I'm gonna hang on to it till that eagle grins.

Cause no, no, nobody knows you
When you're down and out.
In your pocket, not one penny,
And as for friends, you don't have any.

When you finally get back up on your feet again,
Everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend.
Said it's mighty strange, without a doubt,
Nobody knows you when you're down and out.
When you finally get back upon your feet again,
Everybody wants to be your good old long-lost friend.
Said it's mighty strange,
Nobody knows you,
Nobody knows you,

Baby Love - The Supremes

Baby Love is one the 2 million classic Motown hits, this one from the Supremes. Always a pleasure to sing along, and everybody can sing along.

C - C7 - A - Dm7

Dm7 - C - F - C

F -C - F, Em - Dm, G7

Play again 3 times Then there is a break after G7 where you play twice C#. Then start the loop again starting on C#, so C#, C#7, A# ...

Notes

You can replace the F with F9 / F6 / F11 to add some flavour, and add Em7 and/or Dm7 for Em and Dm.

If you play it with just an acoustic guitar by yourself, I would recommend to play it with downstrokes on the beat, so you can hit 4 times each chord, unless there are two chords on the measure (F, Em - Dm, G7).

If you play it on a band, or on a similar way than the record, which is on beat 2 and 4 of the measure (1,2,3,4); then play the downward loop just one time of beat 1 for F, Em - Dm, G7.

Lyrics:


C C7
Baby love, my baby love
A Dm7
I need you, oh how I need you!
Dm7 C
But all you do is treat me bad
F C
Break my heart and leave me sad
F C
Tell me, what did I do wrong?
F Em Dm G7

To make you stay away so long

'Cause baby love, my baby love

Been missing ya, miss kissing ya

Instead of breaking up

Let's do some kissing and making up

Don't throw our love away

In my arms why don't you stay?

Need ya, need ya, baby love, baby love

Baby love, my baby love

Why must we separate, my love?

All of my whole life through

I never loved no one but you

Why you do me like you do?

I get this need

Need to hold you, once again, my love

Feel your warm embrace, my love

Don't throw our love away

Please don't do me this way

Not happy like I used to be

Loneliness has got the best of me

My love, my baby love

I need you, oh how I need you!

Why you do me like you do?

After I've been true to you

So deep in love with you

Baby, baby, 'til it's hurtin' me

'Til it's hurtin' me, baby love

Don't throw our love away

Don't throw our love away

A note on chords:

I separate chords by a - between the different measures of the song.
I separate the chords by a , when the chords should be played in the same beat.

So for a 4/4 song typically you would have
C - F - C - G  for instance. One chord per measure.

C, C#dim - A7 - D7 - G7 for instance. You play 2 chords in the first measure.

Hope this make sense guys !

Cheers,
Pascal

Soulman - Ben l'oncle Soul

French singer, Motown style, check it out pretty cool. The lyrics basically say, I don't have the traits of all these great people, namely Gahndi, Ali, Da Vinci etc. I am just a soul man, but hey I'm sure it's enough.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNJg1UWt37k


Play it:

Intro
Bb - Eb - Bb - F

Verse
Bb - Eb - Bb - F
Bb - Eb - C7 - F7

Chorus
Bb - Bb - Eb - F
Bb - Bb - Eb - F
Bb, Adim - G7 - C7 - F 7

Diana Krall - The girl in the other room

Here is what I found on this beautiful Minor Blues. Who doesn't love Diana Krall, great musician, great singer, looks gorgeous. Anyway back to the song. what I like is that feel, a bass line walking down while you hear the repeat of the Eb, try it.

Verse
Cm - Am7b5 - Ab7 - G7#5

Again, when you play insist on the Eb note on all these chords. You could almost play the bass line (C - A - Ab - G) with Eb to get a feel of the song.

Just have the verse for now the rest is coming.

Enjoy.
A live on youtube: click here

The Album on amazon click here

All the best,
Pascal

Santana - El Farol

It's basically a cycle of 4ths in the key of A minor. Only real difference is the E7 instead of Em, or dominant 7th to offer resolution on Am.

So:

Verse
Am - Dm - G7 - Cmaj7
Fmaj7 - Bmin7b5 - E7 - Am

Chorus:
Am - E7
Really classic stuff, same chords that multiple songs and classics.

For improvisation, I would suggest obviously A minor, then play around with the melody and the chord changes. There are multiple way to play around it, obviously A minor is relative to C Major, so play around with that and all its modes D Dorian, G Mixo, C Ion, F Lyd etc.
Getting back to Am the minor harmonic scale works great.
That means sharp the G to a G# (or min7 to maj7 in the scale), G# being the major third of E it will work beautifully with the E7, so try it out for the Chorus specifically.

Same Old Blues - Freddy King

I finally nailed down the chords for Freddy King "Same Old Blues" in his album "Getting Ready".

Intro / Chorus:
G7 / G#7dim / D / B7
E7 / A7 / D / A+
Verse
D / F#7 / Bm
D / F#7 / Bm
G7 / G#7dim / D / B7
E7 / A7 / D / A+

Enjoy... and listen to this great album

Pascal

PS: link to album http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Ready-Freddie-King/dp/B000002UHP