Famous Chords

[SkinnyDevil]

Howdy, iBM-ers!

I'm compiling a list of famous chords for my students as well as for a short article. You know, stuff like the HENDRIX CHORD (aka, the "Purple Haze" chord, the dom7#9), the BEATLES CHORD (from the song "Hard Day's Night"), the PRINCE CHORD (the 11th position E9 sometimes referred to as the "Kiss" Chord since it's from that song), and that sort of thing.

Just wondering if anyone can provide additional famous chords. I'm not sure the Police's use of the add9 counts, though it did figure prominently in several of their songs, though the Steely Dan "Mu Major" probably does (since they gave it a cool name - hahaha!).

So anyway, list your favorites (remember, they have to be somewhat known for the distinct chord itself, not just because you like a song) here!

Thanx!

[Jed]

. . . though the Steely Dan "Mu Major" probably does (since they gave it a cool name - hahaha!).

THe Mu Major was about a particular voicing of a Maj add9 chord, specifically the root, 2nd and 3rd being voiced as a cluster of major seconds . . . if memory serves . . . .

cheers,

[SkinnyDevil]

Ahhh...true. Good point!

Anyone have any other chords?

[Madaxeman]

Alex Lifeson of RUSH claims the F# he uses in "Far Cry" and in other songs as his. It is an F# barre chord with 1st and 2nd strings left open, which results in a 1,3,4,5,b7 spelling...I have no idea what to call it. Maybe suspended 4th flat 7 with an added 3rd? Dominant 7 suspended 4th?

[superlocrian]

There were the Sus2 chords that Hendrix used in the intro of Castles Made Of Sand and Little Wing. I've never really heard them anywhere else.

[Blutwulf]

There's always the deal where you play an E or A shaped barre chord and drop the index fingered root back one fret. "Hold on Loosely" (and other songs) by .38 Special gets a ton of mileage from it. AC/DC and even Van Halen used it a little.

I guess I gotta name it, too, eh? Looks like a simple major chord with a 7'th stacked on (or under, really) it. The 7'th isn't flattened, so I am betting it is called a maj7 unless you theory types have a different name when the 7'th comes from the octave below the tonic. I never can tell. Or care. Context can probably change the name anyway. I feel dirty for even spelling a chord. Kill me.

The "famous" maj7, heh. But you get my point.

[Madaxeman]

The 7'th isn't flattened, so I am betting it is called a maj7 unless you theory types have a different name when the 7'th comes from the octave below the tonic.

How is the 7th NOT flattened here?
Maybe my theory is off, but if you look at F#
F#(1) G#(2) A#(3) B(4) C#(5) D#(6) E#(7)

This chord TABBED:

---0------ E 6th OR b7th
---0------ B 4th
---3------ A# 3rd
---4------ F# 8th (octave)
---4------ C# 5th
---2------ F# Root (tonic)

This is, of course, getting off topic of the thread-but this chord has my curiosity now...maybe I should post it in a more appropriate thread.

[Blutwulf]

How is the 7th NOT flattened here?

C,E,G + B

B is the 7'th tone in the key of C, as far as I know; it is not a flattened 7'th.

The chord you have tabbed has nothing to do with my post or what I am talking about. Obviously, I was unclear. I must not have mentioned the "index fingered root." You have opened the high E and B string. That is not what I described. For a visual (Dear God, I am about to Tab), see below, using your F# chord...

---2----F#
---2----C#
---3----A#
---4----F#
---4----C#
---2----F#

Then play....

---2----F#
---2----C#
---3----A#
---4----F#
---4----C#
---1----E#

[All_¥our_Bass]

Here are two grat examples from stravinsky (good luck playing these on a guitar though, as they were concieved on piano).

The Petruska Chord
C E G F# A# C#

The Augurs Of Spring Chord
(from the second movement in The Rite Of Spring)

E G# B Eb Gb Bb Db

There's also Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine" chord, courtesy of Syd Barret.

It's an Eminor chord with a Eb power chord "inside" of it
E|-0
B|-0
G|-0
D|-1
A|-1
E|-0

[Madaxeman]

The chord you have tabbed has nothing to do with my post or what I am talking about. Obviously, I was unclear.

No, you weren't unclear...I was self-absorbed in my own post and thought you were replying to my chord
Looking back at it in context-you made perfect sense. I, on the other hand, made myself a perfect arse!

[borge]

i think including how to voice the chord would be helpful:

"Hendrix chord" (Dom7#9)
07678(0)
(E,E,G#,D,G,E)

"Prince Chord" (i'm just assuming this is the 11th pos.E9 voicing you speak of SD)
0,11,12,11,12,(12)
(E,G#,D,F#,B,E)

And one JonR posted somewhere else on IBM, the "James Bond theme chord" (or was it Mission Impossible? :-/ ) very recognisable anyway...
Emadd9Maj7 (?)
0,2,5,4,4,2
(E,B,G,B,D#,F#)

[SkinnyDevil]

Awesome!

Keep 'em coming!!!

[Color of Music]

And one JonR posted somewhere else on IBM, the "James Bond theme chord" (or was it Mission Impossible? :-/ ) very recognisable anyway...
Emadd9Maj7 (?)
0,2,5,4,4,2
(E,B,G,B,D#,F#)

EmMaj9! And it's from 007! M:I uses an Eb7 albeit a more sophiscated fashion. In fact, most "Spy" themed shows use the mMaj9. It's due to the mysteriousness of the augmented triad inside of it. (R,3,5,#7,9)

E-G-B-D#-F#. As you can see, G7#5 and B co-exists; the #5 on the G7 is what gives the mMaj7/9 Maj7/9#5 it's color.

E7/C = CMaj9#5 which resolves to CMaj9 very nicely.

Other shows that use this: Tuff Puppy and the "Perry The Platypus" segments from Phineas and Ferb. (The "Agent P" lyric has a GmMaj9 under it. Btw, it's the Bond theme reused.)

[SkinnyDevil]

Color of Music...

Thanx for reviving this thread! I'm not here much these days, but it was a nice surprise to see this discussion again!

[Color of Music]

^My pleasure. Anymore questions you may have, let me or someone here know.