Grateful Dead Music Forum

I used to know it ...can anyone help me out?

Is it a F7(#9)?

Somthin' like that....

Nope, nevermind...it's just a G7. I was just fingering it wrong.

I don't have a copy of the tune near me, but I am thinking since the song is a blues in G that the seriously intense altered chord at the top of the tune is built off the V chord or D if you will. Try a D7#9#11, sounds about right to me. Here is an attempt at posting the chord.

E---6-----
B---6-----
G---5-----
D---4-----
A---5-----
E----------

Crazy 9.5 Fingers wrote:I don't have a copy of the tune near me, but I am thinking since the song is a blues in G that the seriously intense altered chord at the top of the tune is built off the V chord or D if you will. Try a D7#9#11, sounds about right to me. Here is an attempt at posting the chord.

E---6-----
B---6-----
G---5-----
D---4-----
A---5-----
E----------

I always thought it was a D sharp-nine, a la "Purple Haze", etc.; I'll have to check out the sharp-eleven.

I vote for a G7 and don't forget to bend the crap out of it. Try using a C7 shape moved way up the neck (- 10 9 10 8 -). So what is a G7 hold the crap?

tigerstrat wrote:

Crazy 9.5 Fingers wrote:I don't have a copy of the tune near me, but I am thinking since the song is a blues in G that the seriously intense altered chord at the top of the tune is built off the V chord or D if you will. Try a D7#9#11, sounds about right to me. Here is an attempt at posting the chord.

E---6-----
B---6-----
G---5-----
D---4-----
A---5-----
E----------

I always thought it was a D sharp-nine, a la "Purple Haze", etc.; I'll have to check out the sharp-eleven.

Both sound right to me. I checked this against the version on my hard drive:
DP08
DP22
Fallout from Phil Zone
Grateful Dead (album)
Grateful Dead (album - live track)
Birth of the Dead

Can't tell which was right. Considering 3 midrange instrument come in at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if both were present by at least 1. But the "Hendrix chord" sounds more right to my ears and the one I use.

I agree, when you bend (sharpen) the strings on the G7 chord you get more or less the same sound as the funky D7+ chord that crazy9.5 posted

Hmmm, I thought it was a polychord. I'll need to go listen to it again...

This is yet another example of why it would be great if Phil would be kind enough to write a music theory book for us - explaining exact what is played - and more importantly - why - how it all ties together from a theory perspective. There is clearly something unique going on theory wise with the Dead's music and having Phil explain it would be a nice gift to us all.

Cmnaround wrote:This is yet another example of why it would be great if Phil would be kind enough to write a music theory book for us - explaining exact what is played - and more importantly - why - how it all ties together from a theory perspective. There is clearly something unique going on theory wise with the Dead's music and having Phil explain it would be a nice gift to us all.

I would read the whole thing nonstop without breaks for bathroom, eating, or sleeping.

After a lot of very close listening, I'm certain of these facts; the chord contains a Bb, Eb and a C (C is the bass note). It may also contain an E (giving it the dissonance off of the Eb- but if it's there it's understated). I also beleive the guitarists are layering two different inversions of the chord over each other which is what makes it so confounding.

Anyhow these notes add up to a C7#9, but you can also try flatting the 3rd (E) to an Eb which works too- but is not as dissonant.

It is the same chord as the opening chord to Steely Dan's "Don't Take Me Alive" -- and that's a killer song



Bitch of a chord to make but you can do it. Larry Carlton strums it at the beginning of the song.

G7#9

Notes are G D F B F B-flat

E A D G B E
3 5 5 4 6 6

I am working off of the version on Dick's Picks 8 and there is def a C in the bass note. It's much harder to hear the chord on the studio album.

I play the C7#9 - pretty sure this is a layered chord though.

Yep- C7#9.