Classic Rock- Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers
Here's a song that sounds great on acoustic or electric.
It is very easy to play.
Chords used in this song
---E-----A----C#m----B----A----F#--
e----------------9------7------5-----2---
b--9----10-----9------7------5-----2---
g--9-----9------9------8------6-----3---
d--9----11----11------9------7-----4---
a-11-----0----11------9------7-----4---
e--0-------------9------7------5-----2---
I am lousy at writing time, so you'll have to figure
this out by listening to the recording.
Riff #1 (Played throughtout verses)
e--------------------------------------------------------------------
b--9---9—-9—9--9-----9--9--9---9--9-----9---9--9—9--10--10-10-10-10--9-
g--9—-9—-9--9--9-----9--9--9---9--9-----9--9---9---9---9----9--9---9--9---9
d--9----9—9---9--9----9---9--9---9--9-----9--9--9—-9--11--11-11-11-11--9-
a-11--11-11-11-11--11-11-11-11-11---11-11-11-11---0----0--0---0--0----
e--0—--0—0---0--0----0---0--0---0--0----0---0---0---0---------------------
This is a great riff. Maintain a mini-barre over the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
strings with your index finger throughout. The strumming pattern is
D UDUD UDUDU D UDUD' UDUDU. That D' is where you change to the A
chord. The last chord is just part of the E chord. Notice the open
strings. This was done to get a drone or “Eastern†sound to the song.
If you ever listen to the keyboard for this song it plays one single
E note throughout the song.
This “funk†rhythm is maintained throughout the song except the bridge
where the chords are played as whole notes. So to save tab I'll just
put the changes in front of the lyrics. You will notice you have to
cut Riff 1 short the 2nd time through at the C#m chord.
Intro- (Riff 1) X 2
(Riff 1)Don't you feel it growin', day by day
People gettin' ready for the (C#m)news
Some are (B)happy, some are (A)sad
Oh, we got to let the music play (Riff 1)
(Riff 1)What the people need
Is a way to make 'em smile
It ain't so hard to do if you know (C#m)how
Gotta get a (B)message
Get it on (A)through
Oh, now mama's go'n' to after 'while (Riff 1 cut short)
Chorus
Oh, oh,(C#m)oh, listen to the (A)music
Oh, oh,(C#m)oh, listen to the (A)music
Oh, oh,(C#M)oh, listen to the (A)music
All the (F#)time (A) (Back to Riff 1)
(Riff 1)Well I know, you know better
Everything I say
Meet me in the country for a (C#m)day
We'll be (B)happy
And we'll (A)dance
Oh, we're gonna dance our blues (Riff 1)away
(Riff 1)And if I'm feelin' good to you
And you're feelin' good to me
There ain't nothin' we can't do or (C#m)say
Feelin' (B)good, feeling (A)fine
Oh, baby, let the music play (Riff 1 cut short)
Repeat Chorus
Bridge
(E)Like a lazy flowing (B)river
(A)Surrounding castles in the (E)sky
(E)And the crowd is growing (B)bigger
(A)List'nin' for the happy sounds
And I got to let them fly
Repeat Chorus over and over till out
Guitar solo is E Major Pentatonic 1st and 2nd positions
This is a fun song, hope you like it
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
once again Wes come up with a great song. good job mate. 8)
Another one of those songs I've tried to work out before and failed miserably at - Thanks yet again Wes!
Is there a knack or secret to working out these songs with slightly offbeat chords (Brown Sugar, Born to be Wild, Alright Now) - or should I say chords played in slightly unusual ways/places on the fretboard?
Or is it just one of those things that comes with experience and practise?
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Thanks Grim & Vic
Vic, to tell you the absolute truth, I just happened to play that opening riff by accident many years ago. I thought "Wow, that sounds just like Listen to the Music!"
Sometimes even a blind hog finds an acorn! :wink:
There are some little nuances I didn't include. For instance when playing the A chord during the verse you will hear an ASus4 chord. Also at the very end of the chorus you will hear an AMaj7 chord like this
e--------4---2-------------
b--------2---2---5--2--5--
g-----------------2--2--2-- X 2
d---2-----------------------
a---0-----------------------
e----------------------------
Hold a barre over the bottom 4 strings to play this, use your pinky to reach the 5th fret.
I just try to put the basic chords down to get everybody started.
I never say my tabs are 100% correct. But they're close.
Vic, I am just like you. When it doesn't sound right, I just keep trying. The song Rikki Don't Lose That Number by Steely Dan, I had the whole song down except one chord. It took me 5 years before I lucked up and found it.
Nothin' special 'bout me! I have to work at it. But I love to play and do so every day. That's my secret.
Keep on Rockin' Vic!
Wes
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Rikki don't lose that number was so far above my head the last time I tried to work it out I'd have needed a telescope with a magnifying glass on the viewfinder just to get it in range .............and probably have to have worn the reading glases as well..........
But for all us inferiors, for god's sake don't you ever stop tabbing and rocking!!!
And playing of course.........
I might just try a real oldie next time out - it's a song very much associated with football (soccer for our US brothers.......) over here .....
Gerry and the Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone........
What d'you think............?
.
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
this is a good song for someone wanting to practice with barre shaped chords.
I love it.
Easy to read, I know where the chord changes are to the words, the strumming patterns.
What more could you want.
Keep up the good work-Bull
Great song, excellent job wes. I use the same voicings. One difference In the intro, I bar the bgda strings on the 9th fret and hammer on the 11th fret a string and for the A chord hold that bar and hammer on the 10 th fret b string and 11 th fret d string. It's something a buddy showed me many years ago. It sounds good to me
"This song starts off kinda slow then fizzles out altogether" Neil Young
And I thought the Doobies would be impossible to play. Those are some interesting fingerings. I like the E. I'll try that right now. Oh my, yeaowch. I've never been good at putting fingers closer to the neck on the low strings. I end up muting other strings or mess up the E barre. I can play the normal E barre at the 7th fret in my sleep. It's one of my most used chords.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
