Chord Of The Week 23/1/16 - the David Bowie "Let's Dance" Bb(m)7sus4 chord

bigjon

We'll do one more David Bowie chord before we re-join the Twinkle Jazz series. Let's Dance is a classic of a song which you can instantly identify from just one chord, thanks to the awesome funk rhythm guitar of Nile Rogers. The song is in Bbm, and the main progression opens with a Bb7sus4 chord which could be major or minor because the third has been raised to the suspended 4th, only the context tells us that it is a suspended off a minor 3rd, so the whole chord is

Bb(m)7sus4: x x 8 10 9 11

The chord occurs for the first time of many at 0:09 in this video

bigjon

Chord Of The Week Index updated with 129 discussions at

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/598/chord-of-the-week-index

brojangles

From watching him play it on Youtube I got the impression that x 13 15 13 16 x is the way he fingers it.

stratman3142

brojangles said:

From watching him play it on Youtube I got the impression that x 13 15 13 16 x is the way he fingers it.

I think bigjon is correct.

See what Nile Rodgers plays at 2:24 in the clip below



Although the other version obviously works and is the version used by the other guitar player in the band I play in.

My take on the four chords he plays is below, which is what I play on the top four strings. But I might be wrong, so any other ideas...?
Hmmm now I look at it again, I think that might be a Bbm7 not a Bbm for the final chord. I've been playing it wrong for years

http://i.imgur.com/cttAItV.jpg

Danny1969

Classic song, been gigging it since Bowie died. I'm using similar voicing to Stratman above but slightly different 

I had a good listen to the record, I reckon Niles only plays 4 stabs of the chord and the rest is delays put on in production

Deijavoo

stratman3142 said:

http://i.imgur.com/cttAItV.jpg

That's my go to riff for the next few weeks or so sorted. Cheers!

stratman3142

Deijavoo said:

stratman3142 said:

http://i.imgur.com/cttAItV.jpg

That's my go to riff for the next few weeks or so sorted. Cheers!

Before you copy it exactly, I think the final chord is slightly different. The note on the second string needs to be dropped by a tone (I think). Any other views?

Deijavoo

That does sound better actually.

Danny1969

Yes final chord drop a tone on the 2nd string but also drop the root on the third chord so it's same Bb as the other chords. 

stratman3142

Danny1969 said:

Yes final chord drop a tone on the 2nd string but also drop the root on the third chord so it's same Bb as the other chords. 

Perhaps I should start a new thread: Songs which you've been playing for years but, on re-listening, realise you haven't got quite right .
That often happens to me.

Danny1969

You and me both then

Deijavoo

Danny1969 said:

Yes final chord drop a tone on the 2nd string but also drop the root on the third chord so it's same Bb as the other chords. 

I've been here the last 5 minutes thinking "what the fuck is he on about with this Bb???". Completely forgetting I'm tuned to Eb and playing this all a fret higher and then thinking in standard tuning...... I'm drunk and tired....

Danny1969

I actually play the song in Bm as that's a nicer key for guitar and otherwise the songs a bit low for my singer .....
.
because I'm also tuned to Eb on my guitar

brojangles

I stand corrected! Squinting at this - from about 20.00 - makes me think you're right too. Nice chord charts also, @stratman3142.