Gord Chord question

[Unsettled 1]

I am hoping that with all of these guitar playing Lightheads, someone can help me with a missing chord or two. I can usually hear it but I'm stumped this time.

In "Can't Depend on Love", what is the progression for "I was only trying to " before it goes to e minor on "by with".

I would appreciate any help. The sad part is, I used to know this, and can't remember. Old age perhaps?

Thanks,

Brian

[Wheels]

Hi Brian, Sorry, but I hardly even know that song let alone the chords.
Will try to take a shot at it soon after I listen to it.

[jj]

Brian,

i fake it with a Bm chord adding G....i suppose it's like a G major 7th with B bass

someone like GordisKing may be more specific... looking forward to your renditon

[Peter Bro10]

Just curious, have you checked Wayne's site?
http://www.lightfoot.ca/cantdpnd.htm
Some of the B chords throw me, but that's nothing new! (Never met a B chord I liked! oh, I like the sound, just have a heck of a time trying to play them!!!)

[jj]

any help?

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=...37/wQuueMZUDRg

thx to char for this

[Unsettled 1]

Thanks to everyone for the help. As for Wayne's site, I have never heard of the listed chord (Bm5+) and cannot find it online either.
Dan Hill is hanging with what would be a Bm in Gord's range, so maybe he is as stumped as we are. I used to play that song all the time, and I don't remember missing any chords, but alas, even muscle memory will not revive it. I appreciate all the effort. One of us will figure it out.
It has become the holy grail of Gord chord's, at least till I stumble again.

Brian

[Jesse Joe]

Here is a good question to ask 'THE MAN' himself.

Although we still haven't heard from GordisKing or maybe Ron (lighthead to toe)

Interesting thread this makes. I also am looking forward to your renditon Brian.

[jj]

Originally Posted by Unsettled 1

I have never heard of the listed chord (Bm5+) and cannot find it online either

that's an augmented (+) chord ie. take the 5th and make it sharp, in this case the F# to a G

but the + doesn't sound quite right, on piano anyhow...on guitar i just go with a Bm7

i believe Dan Hill used Wayne's reference as he prepped for Hugh's room

[charlene]

I was asked to send info/mp3 or where song could be found for Dan to use.. I believe he used Lightfoot's recording of the song that I sent for him to use.

[johnfowles]

It has been 10 plus years since I was able to get my stroke-affected left hand 's fingers around the fret so I cannot now test this out for myself but for reference here are the first few lines with chords as presented on Wayne's site:-
C) I spent most of my life outside (G) in the driving rain
(Bm5+) I was only trying to get (Em9) by with some of (Em) life's ameni(Am7)ties
Well (G) nothing's free
(G/B) I got more than I (Am7) bargained for, (G/B) now it's (B7) plain to (C) see
I (G/B) can't depend on (Am) love to defend (G) me

Originally Posted by Jesse Joe

Here is a good question to ask 'THE MAN' himself.

Originally Posted by Jesse Joe

Although we still haven't heard from GordisKing or maybe Ron (lighthead to toe)
Interesting thread this makes. I also am looking forward to your renditon Brian.

yes well no doubt our busking Vancouverine has every one of Gord's chords etched deeply into his memory but some years ago Ron passed to me a number of his singalong sheet music volumes.So he probably does not have the relevant book to hand
I have two copies of the ODR book (one is ex Ron plus one cedded to me by the chatroom pioneer Rik Stevens.)
I have therefore been able to scan the relevant page see the attachment full sized
I note that whoever contrived the chords set the song in a different key to the one that Wayne used so the recalcitrant Bm5+ is unfortunately not shown therein
i tried searching for it at:-
http://jguitar.com/chordsearch?chordsearch=Bm5%2B
which reported:-
"The following chord symbols were not understood. Please make sure they are correct and try again.



"Bm5+"



However as Gord has recently been making great play on the fact that he plays capoed music I feel pretty confident, Brian, that with your capo you can adapt the chords shown on the sheet music page to suit your vocal range or whatever your particular whim dictates

[johnfowles]

Whilst digging out the various sheet music book copies I refound a useful "Magic Guitar Chord Chart" a 4 sided crib sheet (that I used to use in the days when I still had pretensions of mastering guitar playing!!) It does show "augmented" chords so I wiil attach 4 scans for what they are worth

[jj]

ok, there ya go, it's a Bm (go with first instincts, lol) or just a straight C#m if non-capoed

I believe Wayne's site has all chords charted assuming a capo is used, I assume to make it more guitar friendly and to emulate Gord's approach

wow, I've not seen a GL sheet music score or book full of em...these are so piano friendly, can you scan them all, sir John? lol

[DawnsMinstrel]

Hi everyone,

I just spotted this thread now and saw my name mentioned. It's been a while since I've listened to the song and I'm and work at the moment. Tonight or tomorrow I'll give it a listen and give my two cents for what they're worth. I don't usually trust sheet music because it's often been simplified.

Hope everyone's doing well. By the way, I've moved to New Hampshire now in case any Lightheads in the area.

Tim

[johnfowles]

Originally Posted by jj

wow, I've not seen a GL sheet music score or book full of em...these are so piano friendly, can you scan them all, sir John? lol

In a word NO but
You really should take your blinkers off and/or get out more young Mr Jones.
The subject of the "singalong" music books has been aired here before I am sure not least by the elder Mr Jones who I suspect is still convinced that he once owned the book that matches the Sunday Concert album which is one that never comes up on Ebay.
Try this link
http://instruments.shop.ebay.com/She...=p3286.c0.m282
Yiu will find that of the 32 items currently on offer many are based on the album and their front covers are a facsimile of the original vinyl album cover. To make my point I'll attach a sample
Right now a seller in Muntreal has the extended Back Here On Earth book and has pictures showing the song content and a pair of sample pages at:-
http://cgi.ebay.com/GORDON-LIGHTFOOT...item255c2226e2
The same seller is offering:-
http://cgi.ebay.com/GORDON-LIGHTFOOT...item51940487b9
both at the low starting price of $3.95
Of course if you are desperate for a few songs I could scan my copies

[johnfowles]

Originally Posted by johnfowles

not least by the elder Mr Jones who I suspect is still convinced that he once owned the book that matches the Sunday Concert album which is one that never comes up on Ebay.

Jimbo you really should by now have found and read Wayne's comprehensive page on this subject at:-
http://www.lightfoot.ca/songbook.htm
for yours and Ron's education and interest Wayne says:-
SUNDAY CONCERT
- No book was issued.
- See "Sit Down Young Stranger"

SIT DOWN YOUNG STRANGER
- Apology, In A Windowpane and Leaves Of Grass from Sunday Concert are included in this book. Unfortunately, Ballad Of The Yarmouth Castle and The Lost Children are not

[Jesse Joe]

These are my 4 Gordon Lightfoot (Song Books) but no "Yarmouth Castle" in anyone of them.

*

[Unsettled 1]

This thread has taken on quite a life.

I believe I may have found a passable solution after listening over and aver again to that line. It appears to be an Em9 (specific variation) to a quick G/b to Am7. I play this in C, although Gord plays it in D I believe. There's still something missing, but it will have to do, pending further enlightenment.

My thanks again to all for the effort, from those who will keep his great music alive!

[DawnsMinstrel]

Hi everyone,

I'm back with my two cents. First a technical matter. As we all know, Gord capos at fret two. Which means that what we casually refer to as a "G" (fret three of 6 fret 2 of five fret 3 of 1 ) when referred to the capo position is in fact an A and so on. This is a distinction that tends not to be made most of the time but it drives me a bit crazy. That said I will speak as if the capo is the nut as is customary and put the actual chords in parentheses.

Unsettled is pretty close. Em9(F#m9) would work. What I'm hearing is different on different verses. In verse 1 I hear Bm flat 6(C#m flat 6). It's played on the middle four strings with the 5th string fretted at 2(4) and the 4th string fretted at 4(6) and the g and b strings played open(2). From there he keeps that fingering but plays an E(F#) in the base which makes that same configuration into an Em sus2(F#m sus2).

In verse two it sounds like the configuration I described above is the same for the 5th 4th and 2nd strings, but that the g string is now fretted at 2(4) which makes the chord a
Bm7(C#m7) that's missing its minor third. I think I prefer the sound of verse one to verse two, but they both work.

An interesting thing I noticed along the way: The notes for the part of the lyric that starts with "I was only" and ends on "to get" form what's called the phrygian mode of the G(A) major scale. This is just the G(A) scale played starting on the B(C#) instead of the G(A) below and ending on the B(C#) a major 3rd above the octave.

I hope this helps and that the parenthetic chords don't drive the rest of you crazy. That's what I get for studying jazz.

Happy picking.

Tim

[DawnsMinstrel]

By the way unsettled, I just read your post above a bit more carefully. I think you mean that the melody starts on C(D). But the song resolves to G(A). But C(D) is pretty prominent in the song and it's the dominant 4 chord in the key of G(A). So the key of the song is a bit ambiguous.

[Unsettled 1]

You are absolutely correct sir. Thanks for the clarification.

[DawnsMinstrel]

I just realized that I made a mistake above. The fingerings I describe are okay but I misnamed one of the chords. I should have said Bm flat 6 (C#m flat 6) which is consistent with what I think jj was saying further up. A +5 and a flat 6 are the same thing. Sorry about that. Maybe I should edit the post....

[Jesse Joe]

Nobody's prefect (perfect) Tim, it's an honest mistake.

[jj]

Originally Posted by DawnsMinstrel

...what's called the phrygian mode of the G(A) major scale

great stuff, Tim....

[jj]

Originally Posted by DawnsMinstrel

... is in fact an A and so on. This is a distinction that tends not to be made most of the time but it drives me a bit crazy

ok, that makes two of us...but it no longer drives me crazy

[lighthead2toe]

Hi Guys.

Sorry to be away for so long but the weather in Vancouver has been just fantastic and I'm working away like crazy doing outdoor shows and enjoying every moment. After all, is it really possible to ever get tired of playing Gordon Lightfoot songs especially when there is audience out there willing to listen? And the answer is....

Now to answer the infamous Gord chord question:

It's "Em9."

The "Old Dan's Records" song book lays everything out in detail.

So the index finger covers the A string on the second fret and the little finger covers the D string on the fourth fret.

A beautiful chord for a very beautiful song, as only Gord can do it.

Stay loose.

RJ.



Cheers,

RJ.