AM trying to learn Mercy Me by Marvin Gaye and so far have got Emaj7, #Cmin, Fmin, Amaj7 (not A7?) and the it sort of goes up a gear, where the sax comes in, sounds like Gmin, but I can't get it right, could anyone point me to the chords please?

Thanks

Those chords don't sound right to me at all... I'm off to give it a listen, I'll report back!

Cheers,

Chris

Hrm, it's a tricky one... I think you're right about the Gmin when the sax solo starts — the choir does the Gmin triad in the background, but I think it goes up to the 7th at the end of the phrase so it might be Gmin7. Not an easy one to figure out though.

Cheers!

Chris

Quote Korff:

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Hrm, it's a tricky one... I think you're right about the Gmin when the sax solo starts — the choir does the Gmin triad in the background, but I think it goes up to the 7th at the end of the phrase so it might be Gmin7. Not an easy one to figure out though.

Cheers!

Chris

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Thanks, there are several renditions on YouTube, but many seem variations on a theme, though the Paul Weller version seems to stay true to the groove.

Surely can't be that hard to track down I would have thought considering the vast wealth of knowledge on the web! Not the case though LOL

I found this link but it only tells half the story.....

http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/marvin_gaye/mercy_mercy_me_crd.htm < br />
On the aboce site they give the chords as....Emaj7 - C#m7 - F#m7 - Amaj7 but I reckon the #F and A are the wrong way round, where it goes after that, am lost! seems to go F Gmin Amin....hint to YouTube please put a loop facility on, as by the time I hit the right chord I have to stop playing and get hold of the mouse to move back to test out my theory and move to the next chord!

Mercy Me - can't find the chords - now there's irony for you!

I reckon it's this


Emaj7, #Cmin, Fmin7, B

Sax over Fmin, Dmin7, sometimes holding onto the Fmin then to Cmin Fmin, if any other chords crop up while I'm noodling about I'll stick them in too

almost - although you mean F# minor7 I'm sure.

The "B" is a Bsus, to be exact A/B.

These are almost the same chords as "What's Going On" except more interesting in that song the A/B shares it's bar with Amaj7 flat5 / B - you can do that on this one as well.

The guitar part in these songs uses shapes that keep the sound of each chord as close as possible to each other.

Chords in the original key are:

Intro:
Bb7sus // B7sus

Verses:
Emaj9 // C#min9 //F#min9 //B7sus // E maj9

Instrumental Solo to the end:

Fmaj9 (2 bars) // Dmin9 (2 bars) // Gmin9 (2 bars)// C7sus (2 bars) // Bbmin9 // Eb over Bb (2 beats)...Bbmin9 (2 beats)
Bbmin9 to the end.

This is definitely accurate...I taught it as a set work for A2 Music Technology some years ago + I've performed the piano part many times.
Mark

The piano might play the 9th notes on occasion, but most of the chord work is on the guitar, no 9th notes added.
The strings do add a 9th to the Emaj7 at some points, I would say that is a melody note myself. Of course you can extend the chords if you want, but the guitar part does then sound different.

Did you work the part out yourself, or were you handed a chart?

I helped my students study the piece a few years ago...we analyzed it in some depth over a number of weeks + I've performed it a number of times.

I take your point about 7ths in the strummed guitar, (although I'm still convinced I hear the occasional 9th)...but it wasn't at all unusual in Motown arrangements for the strummed guitar to sometimes be pulled back to just the 7th rather than the 9th chord.. a variety of reasons to do with overall texture and guitar recording methods of the period...

But the overall sense with this piece is of the 9th chord...those notes in the piano are quite clearly heard when they enter and they do so regularly. When combined with other elements such as sustained strings / tuned percussion / guitar / backing vocals - both harmonies and secondary melodies, the overall sense is of the more lush, intense 9th chord.

No I didn't use a chart, I played along with the original on my piano...but I've just dug out the original short piano score with guitar chords at the school where I teach - released by the publishing company Jobete music Co Inc / EMI April Music Inc and it confirms my analysis.

Edited by Chameleon Music (18/01/12 06:30 PM)

well I don't quite agree.

I would say the chord is just the 7ths. Then the strings/melody/singer/piano/guitar can add the 9th notes when they want. If the 9th is played all the time it spoils this effect. Also you get a wrong sound to the change, F# to D# dominates the voicing, when it should be D# up to E, which then holds nicely into the F#minor 7.

Also, the Bsus should have the 9th, that's why I called it A/B. It should sound pretty much like F#minor 7 with a new bass note.

Fair enough - your opinion, although, as I've already said, I know this piece very well indeed...

I totally agree that 9th chords can become a bit overbearing if not used with care - one of the reasons that Motown and the Funk Brothers cut dominant rhythmic guitar parts back to just the 7th / basic triad / open 5th power chords in various pieces.

Interestingly, the Bsus in this piece is definitely not A / B...it's actually the extended, richer sounding AMaj7 / B,(there is quite definitely a G# in that chord each time), which incidentally links in very strongly to the F#min9.

Edited by Chameleon Music (18/01/12 09:32 PM)

ok Amaj7/B (not on the gt) - but you said Bsus7.....oh never mind.

Like I said if you listen to the title track - What's Going On - this chord shares the bar with a nice B13 (which means from our Amaj7/B point of view you flatten the 5th). Sounds really nice, and as the chords are the same you can try it on this song if you want. Not on the original but who cares. The guitar does play this one!

I used to play these songs in a residency gig...those were the days:)

It is a difficult album to pull songs from, being so heavily arranged. Inner City blues was another popular one. I always wanted to play "Right On", but we never did. Featuring the legend that was Mr Jamerson on bass of course.

one thing I'm sure we agree on, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

Live, they're all quite difficult to pull off successfully...don't think we ever did them justice - deceptively simple on first listen, but full of wonderful little touches and great, understated musical performances.

Two things I particularly love about the album:

1) The wonderful use of Marvin Gaye's voice on all the backing vocals.
2) For the early 1970s, the production is truly astonishing - still sounds fresh today.

Yes, and the way it all segues together, must have been quite a technical challenge to pull off at the time. Not your average Motown album!