Chords for STEELY DAN´S SONGWRITING lesson (CHAIN LIGHTNING) 2/5

[A] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ You'll see we were trying to _ _ use the same basic 12-bar structure, but do something with
the harmony that would make it more interesting than a regular blues.
We started out with
the one chord, as any [F#] blues would.
So you [A] have, _ [F#m] _ _ [Em] _ [F#m] _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ it's actually a 6 chord, an A6 to a _
G6 alternating [G] over an A pedal or A boogie type of [A] bass.
_ _ [F#m] [Em] Then [F#m] _ _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _
[F#m] _ _ _ _ [Em] _ [F#m] _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ we [C] have, _ [D] _
_ [C] _ [D] _ [Em] _ [D] _ _ _ [C] _
now you notice
that's [G#m] not a regular [N] blues.
You haven't gone to the 4 chord.
No, we didn't go to a 4. _
Right,
we go up a minor 3rd and that's the bass note [C] is C, natural, _ and _ _ over that we _ _ alternate
between a D triad and a C triad, which gives you that kind of suspended _ _ feeling.
So once again,
from the top [A] it would be.
_ [F#m] _ _ [Em] _
[F#m] _ _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ [Em] _ [F#m] _ _ _ _
_ [Em] _ [G] _ _ [C] _ _ [D] _ _
[C] _ [D] _ [C] _ [D] _ _ [C] _ _
[D] Now, _ _ _ we end up on a C _ triad with a D in the bass, which is a,
you call it an 11 chord.
_ _ [N] One of the many names we might_
C over D or something.
Cue your
nomenclature that they use in music.
And [C] _
_ [G#] that's a chord that leads to _ _ a 5th down,
which would lead to G.
_ So you're modulating.
_ So in a sense, let's start again and take a look at
it another [A] way.
One.
[F#m] _ [Em] _ [F#m] _ _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ [Em] _ [F#m] _ _ _ _ [Em] _
_ _ _ [C] _ [D] _ _ [C] _ [D] _
[C] _ _ [D] _ [C] _ Leads to [G] _
[D] G.
[C] _ [D] _ [G] _ _ [D] _ _
[C] _ _ Triad [D] D.
_ [C] _ [D] _
_ [Em] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _
_ We [G#] had to make a substitution.
Well, instead of going from
the _ 4 chord, I mean the 5 chord to the 4 chord, you reverse it there, right?
Well, yeah, I wanted
to get back to A and I was somewhere in G, in the G major area.
Oh yeah.
So I had to get back to A.
So once you get to G, like once you get to G major.
[D] _ _ _ _
So then you go to D from there.
Uh-huh, D, which is a.
_ _ [C] Same [D] triad.
Same triad, and then to E.
[Em] _ _ [Bm] _ _
Here's where the switchover [C#m] comes. _ _
We have to have an
[G#] accidental.
We have a G sharp here and [C#m] a C sharp, [E] so that you can, which leads [C#m] _ to.
[A] _ _ [E] _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ So once again, I'll just call out the chords.
_ [F#m] _ _ [Em] [F#m] A7 _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ [A]
essentially.
_ [Em] _ [F#m] _ _ _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ [C] _ [D] C [C] bass.
[D] _
_ [C] _ _ [D] _ [C] _ _ [G] D11.
[D] G major.
[C] _ [D] _ [G] _ [D] _ _
[C] _ _ _ [D] D7.
_ _ [C] _
[D] _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [Em] _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
So _ [A] those are the actual vocal harmonies too, those triads, right?
Right, and in this song, the _ _ _ _ whole song was derived from the keyboard part.
In the sense [F#m] that the
[Em] _ [F#m] these [E] alternating chords are, it's very simple.
It's just [G] the vocal is really the.
Yeah, but there's
subtle [A] little changes in there too. _
They're not [F#m] all parallel.
Yeah.
[Em] Some of them change.
Right.
_ _ _ _ Maybe we could just try one time [G] through and you can see how it sounds.
Because you're going to
have to adjust.
Am I going to have to play a solo on it?
Well, I want to ask you a question about some of those changes.
All right.
When you get to the like the fifth bar _ and we've got a G in the bass. _
_ [D] _ [G] Is that like a _ _ kind of scale you'd plan?
Let's [A] take a look.
[C] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ _
[D] _ [C] [G] Oh, we've got a _ C natural
in _ _ these moving triads, as you [C] can see.
[G] Right.
_ [C] _ _ _
_ [G] And an F sharp.
So _ _ _ it sort of defines itself as a _ _ G major scale.
So you just.
Of course, you know, when you're improvising, you can depart from the
so [D] you got a G [C] scale and then you just stay [G] on it when you go to G.
That's correct. _ _
_ _ _ Let's try this.
Any question I have.
All right.
So, you know, why don't you try playing a
_ _ _ like two choruses and we'll see, _ you know, after we'll see if you can get through _ it.
Should I know that?
_ But I don't know if I can keep the baseline going while I'm doing.
All right.
Well, I'll help out.
[N] OK.