Harmony analysis: JQUAI The Return of the Space Cowboy

[eddu]

Well, i have some (little)knowledge on harmony but i think i should study some of my fav harmony tunes to write some good music.

I love the progression on this tune. Could anybody make an analysis on what scale or key he's using, how he modulates,etc? That would be really helpfull.

Chords are here (dunno if they are right at all, at least they sound good to me when playing the guitar):

http://www.guitarmasta.net/j/jamiroquai/264162.html

Also is the Gb6add9 chord built in this way?: Gb - A# - C# - D# - G#

And what the hell do they mean when writing a an "All" chord??

Thannks

[sonarman]

Isn't that an 'A' with an eleventh?

[BosseJo]

Well, i have some (little)knowledge on harmony but i think i should study some of my fav harmony tunes to write some good music.

I love the progression on this tune. Could anybody make an analysis on what scale or key he's using, how he modulates,etc? That would be really helpfull.

Chords are here (dunno if they are right at all, at least they sound good to me when playing the guitar):

http://www.guitarmasta.net/j/jamiroquai/264162.html

Also is the Gb6add9 chord built in this way?: Gb - A# - C# - D# - G#

And what the hell do they mean when writing a an "All" chord??

Thannks

I don't if I have heard the song so I don't if it's correct or not. The Gb6add9 would be better spelled like this: Gb(root) Bb(3) Dd(5) Eb(6) Ab(9). They way you write it is a bit harder to read at a glance and it's not theoretically correct. Try to not mix sharps and flats if possible. Especially Gb (root) and G# (nine) is a bit confusing. And the chord could also be written as Gb6/9, which is more common.

All chord is probably an A 11 (eleventh chord) chord.

[eddu]

Isn't that an 'A' with an eleventh?

Uh..too early when i wrote this

[eddu]

Sorry, fot the lazy people who dont want to click here's the song:

Code: Select all

Verse

             DbMaj7     Cmin7      BMaj7             G6add9
Everything is good, and brown. I'm here again with a sun 
             A11             DbMaj7              Cmin7
shine smile upon my face. My friends are close at hand and 
   BMaj7            G13           A11               Dbmin7
my inhibitions have disappeared without a trace. I'm glad I 
BMaj7 G6add9        A11 
found someone I can rely on.

Chorus

            Ebmin9 Fmin9        Bbmin9 form 1
This is the return of the space cowboy.
     Ebmin9    Fmin9      Bbmin9 form 2       
Interplanetary good vibes on. 
                 Ebmin9    Fmin9         Bbmin9 form 1
Set the speed of cheeba. Oh You and I go deeper. 
                Ebmin9          Fmin9
Maybe I have to get high to get by.

[rp314]

The Gb6add9 would be better spelled like this: Gb(root) Bb(3) Dd(5) Eb(6) Ab(9).

Typo: it should read "Db(5)". It's obviously just a typing error but since we are talking about correct spelling...

[BosseJo]

No the fifth is played backwards

[cheul]

What about the chord progression ? It's an interesting topic.

[Toxikator]

Where do you see Gb6add9? looks like a straight G6add9 to me.

The progression goes IM7 - vii7 - bVII7 - #IV6add9 - bVI11

I'm not too sure what on earth to make of it. The IM7-vii7-bVII7 sounds great no matter how I try it; I'm very curious about that.

I'm not sure what the business is with that #IV6add9, I don't think that's a proper analysis of the notes (just a fingering for it on the guitar) and I can't do much with it or the A11. So I'm stumped.

[Ph-J]

I, ahem, downloaded the song to have a listen, but didn't have the time to listen to more than just the beginning:

DbMaj7 Cmin7 BMaj7 G6add9

This is not right:
The second chord is not Cmin7, it's more like an Fsus/C (Bass C, then Bb C Eb F)
Then it's not G6add9, but Absus, sus then resolved to Ab7

So DbMaj7 Fsus/C BMaj7* Absus -> 7

(* actually CbMaj7, but that's so much harder to read)

I'll listen more tomorrow, I'm at work for the night, and I need a keyboard to go further.

[eddu]

The second chord is not Cmin7

Really? Playing the guitar here seems like the exact chord to my ears.

[Ph-J]

The second chord is not Cmin7

Really? Playing the guitar here seems like the exact chord to my ears.

The chord he plays on ep is (bass = C) Bb C Eb F, so it's more like Fsus/C.

Here's what I have so far:

Db Maj - Fsus/C - Cb Maj - Absus (*)
Db Maj (Ab C Db Eb) - Fsus/C - Cb Maj - F#sus - G#sus - C#min

(edit: last 3 chords are actually Gbsus Absus and Dbmin)

here are the chords on ep: http://home.scarlet.be/~tsa10920/space_cowboy_v.mp3

Have to go again, more tomorrow


(*) not resolved to Ab7 finally, he only changes position

[JumpingJackFlash]

The chord he plays on ep is (bass = C) Bb C Eb F, so it's more like Fsus/C.

I assume you mean F7sus4/C, - note the seventh (Eb).
(Which would indeed be C, F, Bb, Eb).

Also, I always prefer to specify sus4, because a variety of other 'suspensions' are possible. (Sus2 being one of the more common).

However, the chord could probably be analysed in a variety of ways.
Cm7add4 would also work: C, Eb, F, G, Bb.

It depends on context really.

[egbert]

The chord he plays on ep is (bass = C) Bb C Eb F, so it's more like Fsus/C.

I assume you mean F7sus4/C, - note the seventh (Eb).
(Which would indeed be C, F, Bb, Eb).

Also, I always prefer to specify sus4, because a variety of other 'suspensions' are possible. (Sus2 being one of the more common).

However, the chord could probably be analysed in a variety of ways.
Cm7add4 would also work: C, Eb, F, G, Bb.

It depends on context really.

I agree with all of that.

I would think of that chord as Cmi11 = C (bass) Eb (C) Bb F - there is no need to play the 5th in extended chords. Eg C13 would typically be played: C (bass) Bb D E A or C (bass) E A Bb D.

[Ph-J]

The chord he plays on ep is (bass = C) Bb C Eb F, so it's more like Fsus/C.

However, the chord could probably be analysed in a variety of ways.
Cm7add4 would also work: C, Eb, F, G, Bb.

It depends on context really.

well, yes, but here the context is Db Major, so functionally, F7sus/C makes much more sense than a Cmin7 chord.


(and yes, of course, in the context, all the chords are 7th of some kind, so it should be written:

Db Maj7 - F7sus/C - Cb Maj7 - Ab7sus
Db Maj7 - F7sus/C - Cb Maj7 - Gb7sus - Ab7sus - Dbmin7 )