Guitar chords for God Only Knows

[shelter]

The way I play "God Only Knows" on guitar, it sounds almost right... And some of the tabs on the regular guitar tab sites are also almost right... But does anyone have the real guitar chords for "God Only Knows", including that rare chord that Jeff Foskett talks about on the TLOS dvd?

Thanks in advance...

[Scott]

When he says "rare" I think he means "slightly cooked".

Scott

[Christoph]

God only knows is really hard to play on guitar, because it uses really rare voicings and bass notes, for example the verse is something like:

D/A, bm, f#m, B/A, E/B, fm6/C, E/B, c#m/Bb and so on... Really a piano song

[Surfer Joe]

I'll take a crack at this.  The way I learned it:

French horn intro:

A, and then this weird chord-  no idea what it's called- first (top) string, hit the fourth fret.  Fourth string, second fret.  Third string, fourth fret.  Others open.  Then go to F#m7, back to the weird chord. Play the little three-note transition on the top string and into the verse.

Verse doesn't get hairy for a bit:

D (four strums), Bm (four strums), F#m7 -two fingered version, no second string 7th note- (four strums, etc.), B7 (play it as an open chord),  E- and then here comes a weird one- 4th string , 4th fret;3rd (5th) 2nd (4th) 1st (5th). Then back to E, and then another weird chord, made from the same shape as the last one: 5th (1), 4th (2), 3rd(1), 2nd (2).

Chorus, of course, is the same as the French horn intro.

Vocal bridge: G, A7 (two-fingered version), Bm, weird space chord again- same shape as earlier, but all down one fret from the first time: 4th (3), 3rd (4), 2nd (3) 1st (4). Then A, and one last tricky chord:  5th fret (2), 4th (3), 3rd (1), 2nd (3).  Back to A, then an easy and pretty one that I still don't know what it's called: 4th string, hit the first fret, then bar the second fret for strings 3, 2, and 1, like part of an F#m. 

As you sing the title again, play D, then F#m7, then Bm.  Then back to the verse in D, and you should have it from there.

Somebody owes me a couple beers.

[jammer730]

Intro:
(on harpsichord and accordions)
A, E, A, E (2x)

(thump thump thump (bass intro)
A, E/Ab, F#m7
(A/E, A/E, B/F#, C/G)

Verse:
D/A, Bm6, F#m, F#m7, B/A
E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim
A, E/Ab, F#m7

(bass: E E F# G)

Repeat Verse

Instrumental Break:

A/E, A/E, F#m7, A/E, G
(Am/C, G/D, F, Em/G, Dm/A)

Repeat

Bridge

G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7

Repeat Verse chords till this part:

A, E/Ab, F#m7, E/Ab

repeat till fade...

Top that!............Just kiddin' 

P.S. Just use a chord dictionary and try to get those bass notes in their (i know it's tough )

[shelter]

Thanks a lot! 

[variable2]

Intro:
(on harpsichord and accordions)
A, E, A, E (2x)

(thump thump thump (bass intro)
A, E/Ab, F#m7
(A/E, A/E, B/F#, C/G)

Verse:
D/A, Bm6, F#m, F#m7, B/A
E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim
A, E/Ab, F#m7

(bass: E E F# G)

Repeat Verse

Instrumental Break:

A/E, A/E, F#m7, A/E, G
(Am/C, G/D, F, Em/G, Dm/A)

Repeat

Bridge

G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7

Repeat Verse chords till this part:

A, E/Ab, F#m7, E/Ab

repeat till fade...

Top that!............Just kiddin' 

P.S. Just use a chord dictionary and try to get those bass notes in their (i know it's tough )

close, but still not right.. in the verse, change your "C6dim" to a Cdim7, and your "Bbdim" to Bbm7b5, and you've got it.  same goes for the bridge chords in a different key.. should be Fdim7, A/E, Ebm7b5.. and so on.

[the captain]

I think some of those "corrections" could actually be differences in your terminologies. I can understand why a person would say Cdim6 when the real chord is Cdim7, in that with a fully diminished chord, the 7th is what looks like a 6th. (C, Eb, Gb, Bbb, which looks like A) And a person might say Bbdim when it's truly Bb half diminished, meaning a diminished triad with a minor 7th (as you notated Bbmin7b5).

As for the song itself, it's not that there are any really weird chords, it just wasn't intended to be fully played on a guitar, so it can be awkward. That's often the case with BW--or any piano-based--songs.

[JB Wilojarston]

I think some of those "corrections" could actually be differences in your terminologies. I can understand why a person would say Cdim6 when the real chord is Cdim7, in that with a fully diminished chord, the 7th is what looks like a 6th. (C, Eb, Gb, Bbb, which looks like A) And a person might say Bbdim when it's truly Bb half diminished, meaning a diminished triad with a minor 7th (as you notated Bbmin7b5).

As for the song itself, it's not that there are any really weird chords, it just wasn't intended to be fully played on a guitar, so it can be awkward. That's often the case with BW--or any piano-based--songs.

I don't buy the diminished chord. That chord is many times a dominant 7th with a flatted 9. For instance, not, C C#dim Dmi7, but C A7-9 Dmi7.  Diminished chords were outmoded, I would think, by the late 40's and  were mostly used as chords in sheet music (usually as  a passing chord).  OK, maybe Brian used it in Heroes and Villians and Let Him Run Wild, but I bet the session guys were thinking "substitutions."

[the captain]

I'm not saying what it was, just noting the possible "lost in translation" moment of the previous post.

But the pattern you mention makes sense theoretically because it brings in a dominant to the D-7, a real, functional purpose, as opposed to purely a passing chord. (OK, that is a functional purpose, too, but a weaker movement without the A in the chord.) As for any chord--fully diminished or otherwise--being outmoded, bah! Once in existence, always in existence. Although with their backgrounds in jazz, the people Brian was working with certainly would have been interested in fully coloring music, I'd guess. (As much a fuss is made about Brian's use of extensions, when I was taught jazz theory it was always assumed in every case unless otherwise noted that you'd at least be using 7ths, and probably extending beyond that. It was intentional minimalist approach if you didn't do it.)

[variable2]

I think some of those "corrections" could actually be differences in your terminologies. I can understand why a person would say Cdim6 when the real chord is Cdim7, in that with a fully diminished chord, the 7th is what looks like a 6th. (C, Eb, Gb, Bbb, which looks like A) And a person might say Bbdim when it's truly Bb half diminished, meaning a diminished triad with a minor 7th (as you notated Bbmin7b5).

As for the song itself, it's not that there are any really weird chords, it just wasn't intended to be fully played on a guitar, so it can be awkward. That's often the case with BW--or any piano-based--songs.

I don't buy the diminished chord. That chord is many times a dominant 7th with a flatted 9. For instance, not, C C#dim Dmi7, but C A7-9 Dmi7.  Diminished chords were outmoded, I would think, by the late 40's and  were mostly used as chords in sheet music (usually as  a passing chord).  OK, maybe Brian used it in Heroes and Villians and Let Him Run Wild, but I bet the session guys were thinking "substitutions."

i mean.. i see what you are saying, but what changes things is the bass in the progression from "you'd never need to doubt it"... B, C, B, Bb, A..   that C would be the b9 in your B7b9 chord, so *technically* you could say it is B7/C.. but it's just easier and makes more sense (to me) to write Cdim7.. the B in the chord fits as the #7 in the Cdim7, which is a nice sound.  yay for pedantic theory! *head explodes* 

[the captain]

Let's not knock pedantic theory, now! I love music theory.

It's artificial, a way to describe things that exist anyway. And many musicians who have made things that were theoretically complex didn't necessarily know theory. But it's still fun.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

As for the song itself, it's not that there are any really weird chords, it just wasn't intended to be fully played on a guitar, so it can be awkward. That's often the case with BW--or any piano-based--songs.

This is exactly what I planned to say after I read the thread title and before I read the actual thread.

It's not going to sound quite right just playing the overlying chords, and unless you're Tal Farlow or George Van Eps, it's not really going to sound great playing the inversions with the right bass notes.

Fun discussing the theory, though.

[Surfer Joe]

This guy manages pretty well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY9PAuso9a4

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

This guy manages pretty well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY9PAuso9a4

That's a really nice arrangement, indeed.  But I daresay he's taking some small harmonic liberties.

[Boiled Egg]

I think some of those "corrections" could actually be differences in your terminologies. I can understand why a person would say Cdim6 when the real chord is Cdim7, in that with a fully diminished chord, the 7th is what looks like a 6th. (C, Eb, Gb, Bbb, which looks like A) And a person might say Bbdim when it's truly Bb half diminished, meaning a diminished triad with a minor 7th (as you notated Bbmin7b5).

As for the song itself, it's not that there are any really weird chords, it just wasn't intended to be fully played on a guitar, so it can be awkward. That's often the case with BW--or any piano-based--songs.

I don't buy the diminished chord. That chord is many times a dominant 7th with a flatted 9. For instance, not, C C#dim Dmi7, but C A7-9 Dmi7.  Diminished chords were outmoded, I would think, by the late 40's and  were mostly used as chords in sheet music (usually as  a passing chord).  OK, maybe Brian used it in Heroes and Villians and Let Him Run Wild, but I bet the session guys were thinking "substitutions."

i mean.. i see what you are saying, but what changes things is the bass in the progression from "you'd never need to doubt it"... B, C, B, Bb, A..   that C would be the b9 in your B7b9 chord, so *technically* you could say it is B7/C.. but it's just easier and makes more sense (to me) to write Cdim7.. the B in the chord fits as the #7 in the Cdim7, which is a nice sound.  yay for pedantic theory! *head explodes* 

you could say it's B7/C... but only if there was a B in the chord anywhere - and since there isn't, it's Cdim7.  (no such thing as a dim6, by the way.  the vagaries of spelling make it look like a 6th chord sometimes, but it ain't.  if you diminshed a 6th chord, it would become an aug5 chord...)

there are some fairly satisfying results to be had by sticking a capo on the second fret and playing the chords as the shapes C/G, Am6, Em, Em7, A/G, D/A, Bbdim7, D/A, G#m7b5, G, D/F#, Em7, D etc.

[jammer730]

Intro:
(on harpsichord and accordions)
A, E, A, E (2x)

(thump thump thump (bass intro)
A, E/Ab, F#m7
(A/E, A/E, B/F#, C/G)

Verse:
D/A, Bm6, F#m, F#m7, B/A
E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim
A, E/Ab, F#m7

(bass: E E F# G)

Repeat Verse

Instrumental Break:

A/E, A/E, F#m7, A/E, G
(Am/C, G/D, F, Em/G, Dm/A)

Repeat

Bridge

G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7

Repeat Verse chords till this part:

A, E/Ab, F#m7, E/Ab

repeat till fade...

Top that!............Just kiddin' 

P.S. Just use a chord dictionary and try to get those bass notes in their (i know it's tough )

close, but still not right.. in the verse, change your "C6dim" to a Cdim7, and your "Bbdim" to Bbm7b5, and you've got it.  same goes for the bridge chords in a different key.. should be Fdim7, A/E, Ebm7b5.. and so on.

Actually, you may just be misunderstanding my chord names buddy, C6dim = C (bass) C-Eb-F#-A, Bb7dim= Bb (bass) Bb-Db-E-Ab, and so on and so forth.

[JB Wilojarston]

Intro:
(on harpsichord and accordions)
A, E, A, E (2x)

(thump thump thump (bass intro)
A, E/Ab, F#m7
(A/E, A/E, B/F#, C/G)

Verse:
D/A, Bm6, F#m, F#m7, B/A
E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim
A, E/Ab, F#m7

(bass: E E F# G)

Repeat Verse

Instrumental Break:

A/E, A/E, F#m7, A/E, G
(Am/C, G/D, F, Em/G, Dm/A)

Repeat

Bridge

G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7

Repeat Verse chords till this part:

A, E/Ab, F#m7, E/Ab

repeat till fade...

Top that!............Just kiddin' 

P.S. Just use a chord dictionary and try to get those bass notes in their (i know it's tough )

close, but still not right.. in the verse, change your "C6dim" to a Cdim7, and your "Bbdim" to Bbm7b5, and you've got it.  same goes for the bridge chords in a different key.. should be Fdim7, A/E, Ebm7b5.. and so on.

Actually, you may just be misunderstanding my chord names buddy, C6dim = C (bass) C-Eb-F#-A, Bb7dim= Bb (bass) Bb-Db-E-Ab, and so on and so forth.

Will you quit it with the diminished chords, already?

The "E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim" is E/B Ami/C E/B F#/A#. If you listen to the first verse, the keyboards are playing simple triads for the most part.

And, "G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7" is incorrect.

It is: G/D A/E Bmi/F# Bmi E/D
         A/E Dmi/F A/E B/D#

Again, if you listen to the keyboards, they are playing simple major and minor triads.

JBW

[the captain]

There is no C6dim. The notes C, Eb, Gb, Bbb (i.e. A) make a Cdim7. The "A" is a B double flat, i.e., this is a C fully diminished. If it were C, Eb, Gb, Bb, that would be a C "half diminished" 7, or a C-7(b5), or a C (circle with diagonal line through it) 7.

I like when people call people buddy.

[jammer730]

Intro:
(on harpsichord and accordions)
A, E, A, E (2x)

(thump thump thump (bass intro)
A, E/Ab, F#m7
(A/E, A/E, B/F#, C/G)

Verse:
D/A, Bm6, F#m, F#m7, B/A
E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim
A, E/Ab, F#m7

(bass: E E F# G)

Repeat Verse

Instrumental Break:

A/E, A/E, F#m7, A/E, G
(Am/C, G/D, F, Em/G, Dm/A)

Repeat

Bridge

G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7

Repeat Verse chords till this part:

A, E/Ab, F#m7, E/Ab

repeat till fade...

Top that!............Just kiddin' 

P.S. Just use a chord dictionary and try to get those bass notes in their (i know it's tough )

close, but still not right.. in the verse, change your "C6dim" to a Cdim7, and your "Bbdim" to Bbm7b5, and you've got it.  same goes for the bridge chords in a different key.. should be Fdim7, A/E, Ebm7b5.. and so on.

Actually, you may just be misunderstanding my chord names buddy, C6dim = C (bass) C-Eb-F#-A, Bb7dim= Bb (bass) Bb-Db-E-Ab, and so on and so forth.

Will you quit it with the diminished chords, already?

The "E/B, C6dim, E/B, Bb7dim" is E/B Ami/C E/B F#/A#. If you listen to the first verse, the keyboards are playing simple triads for the most part.

And, "G/D, Em6, Bm, Bm7, E/D
A/E, F6dim, A/E, Eb7dim
D, A/C#, Bm7" is incorrect.

It is: G/D A/E Bmi/F# Bmi E/D
         A/E Dmi/F A/E B/D#

Again, if you listen to the keyboards, they are playing simple major and minor triads.

JBW

Man, what did diminished chords do to you in the past?

...Anyway for all you "Cdim7" sayers, chords aren't limited to one standard voicing, example A/D = Dmaj9(no 3rd)

I'll break it down:

C major (C-E-G)

C6  (C-E-G-A)

Cdim (C-Eb-F#)

Therefore:

C6 + (no aug. intented) Cdim = (C-Eb-F#-A)


So guy above me, there is such a thing as these chords, it's just that people like yourself, who don't know how to build chords as well as break them down, ignore what I stated above "chords can have more than one voicing". just messin' with ya

If you want me to I'll post a video of myself playing it exactly how it's played on the record, you can listen and compare, but pleeeeeaaase, before you knock these chords, try playing them yourselves.

Thank you 

P.S. buddy

[JB Wilojarston]

[/quote]

Will you quit it with the diminished chords, already?

Again, if you listen to the keyboards, they are playing simple major and minor triads.

JBW
[/quote]

Man, what did diminished chords do to you in the past?


[/quote]

OK, I went back and listened to the Stack-O-Tracks version*. You are right. 

I was traumatized by sheet music transcribers' inappropriate use of diminished chords by  in the late 60's, early 70's.  I had recurring  nightmares of me singing in my band and  turning into Arthur Godfrey in the middle of a song.

*There is a dropout on the intro, in one of the channels on that track. Visually and aurally, seems like they used the 'original' Duophonic master for that release.

JBW

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

...Anyway for all you "Cdim7" sayers, chords aren't limited to one standard voicing, example A/D = Dmaj9(no 3rd)

I'll break it down:
C major (C-E-G)
C6  (C-E-G-A)
Cdim (C-Eb-F#)

Therefore:

C6 + (no aug. intented) Cdim = (C-Eb-F#-A)

So guy above me, there is such a thing as these chords, it's just that people like yourself, who don't know how to build chords as well as break them down, ignore what I stated above "chords can have more than one voicing". just messin' with ya

First of all, in the end is doesn't matter what you call it, as long as you understand what the chord is and how it functions.  But, when doing a chart for a band or something, you have to know how other people will interpret a chord symbol.  I understand where you're coming from, but there are reasons harmonies are described in certain ways.

First of all, "diminished" has a certain meaning.  It involves lowering certain tones.  For instance, there is no F# harmonically in a C diminished triad.  It would be a Gb.  Again, by yourself, you can call it whatever you want, but the functionality of the chord depends on what is specifically happening to the notes.  In the C triad, you lower the third and fifth, thus, the E and G are flatted.  The submediant tone in C, the sixth, is always some form of A.  A fully diminished seventh chord in C, by definition, is diminishing all it's intervals.  A normal old C7 would feature C and Bb, but since we're diminishing that chord, the Bb becomes Bbb.  It is still functionally the seventh of the chord.  Calling it "A" is correct out of context, but it betrays the function and purpose of the Bbb.

Which is why we call it Cdim7.  Anytime you put a dim6 in front of a professional musician, they will interpret that to mean something other than what you intended if you really wanted a fully diminished chord there.

Again, if you listen to the keyboards, they are playing simple major and minor triads.

For the most part, that is true.  That's what I love about the arrangement.  It's truly the sum of it's parts, though I agree that in certain cases they do play diminished chords.

The complexity comes out of the arrangement, and that's why it's hard to do justice to a Pet Sounds song on one instrument.

[jammer730]

Exactly, that's how it would be written for studio musicians, but we're a bunch of nerds just messin' around on guitars, 

To JB, no hard feelings, i wasn't trying to create an argument, but thanks for giving my post a second chance.

To original poster, i hope from all of our crazy bickering, you got something 

[JB Wilojarston]

Exactly, that's how it would be written for studio musicians, but we're a bunch of nerds just messin' around on guitars, 

To JB, no hard feelings, i wasn't trying to create an argument, but thanks for giving my post a second chance.

To original poster, i hope from all of our crazy bickering, you got something 

One last thing, 'bitchering' about enharmonic notes is a bit silly. It's hard for a pop musician to always be musically PC and call an "A" a "B double flat." For instance if I had my hand on a piano keyboard on a full C diminished chord and was telling a guitar player what notes to play, I'd probably say, "C ,Eb, F#, and A." I know that chords are built in thirds, but...

[the captain]

So guy above me, there is such a thing as these chords, it's just that people like yourself, who don't know how to build chords as well as break them down, ignore what I stated above "chords can have more than one voicing". just messin' with ya

If you want me to I'll post a video of myself playing it exactly how it's played on the record, you can listen and compare, but pleeeeeaaase, before you knock these chords, try playing them yourselves.

Thank you 

P.S. buddy

I'm not knocking the combination of notes. But if you're questioning my understanding of theory and chord construction--and this comes off sounding stupid and pretentious and all that, and I know it--you're talking to the wrong person. I'd happily go into it in excruciating detail with you on PM if you really want to, but I doubt you do. And I'm quite sure nobody else gives a f***, so it isn't worth carrying on here, either.