Israel Houghton

[gtrdave]

this is where we'll have to agree to disagree 

since the 5 chord is a major chord, i'd argue that it's E major with a flat 7 thrown in the verse progression......if he were playing a 5min or 5 min7 i'd agree that it was indeed mixolydian, since the flatted 7th degree always makes that chord a minor chord.

but i definitely see where you are coming from. and obviously various harmonies can be implied at anytime in a song, although it doesn't change the overall tonality of the song. for example, when people use the b6 - b7 - 1 progression in a song that is in a major key. sounds great, adds alot of drama to the sound, but still doesn't change the fact that it's a major key, even though those chords are diatonic to the minor of the smae key. (unless you are using some weird augmented/gypsy/middle-eastern scale)

It must be the heat    and we'll agree to agree as you're correct and the E mixolydian mode is used over the b7 chord only as far as I can tell.
Ooh, that's another hint! 

[jlynnb1]

It must be the heat    and we'll agree to agree as you're correct and the E mixolydian mode is used over the b7 chord only as far as I can tell.
Ooh, that's another hint! 

exactly....like you can throw the dorian scale or a minor groove if the 4 chord is a major/dominant chord. i.e. A9 over a Emin groove. things that normally wouldn't work can fit over parts of song that don't necessarily fit to strict major or minor diatonic scale/progression.

[loftudad]

What is the chord he is playing it looks very different to me it looks like

---3-------
--2--------
--2--------
----0------
----0------
----0------

I could be way off here, but please help with it becasue I have tried it over and it just doesn't sound right to me. He uses it sliding from 2 - 8 it lloks like but I was looking more for the sound than anything?

[gtrdave]

What is the chord he is playing it looks very different to me it looks like

---3-------
--2--------
--2--------
----0------
----0------
----0------

I could be way off here, but please help with it becasue I have tried it over and it just doesn't sound right to me. He uses it sliding from 2 - 8 it lloks like but I was looking more for the sound than anything?

*more hints*

I think I understand what you're asking and if so, it should be:
E--0
B--0
G--2
D--2
A--x
E--2

It's an Fm7 with the droning open B and E strings...so it sounds like an Fm11.

When played at the 8th fret it's C#m7.

[loftudad]

Ahhh thanx and I thought I was backwards on that...

I was on my way out the door to practice and had to have another listen, there just isn't enough time in the day it seems. I need to retire and just play my guitar 

[gtrdave]

You're sayin' that work is overrated? 

[loftudad]

Not too much over rated; it is a good thing. I just need to start working for myself! 

[trackman]

ok. So this is what I have so far with the hints and watching the video over and over (and over).

I know it's an E, I think it's an E7, not sure though.

E - X
A - 7
D - 9
G - 8
B - 9
E - X

Then I have the C#m7

E - 9
A - X
D - 9
G - 9
B - X
E - X

Then D7 

E - X
A - 5
D - 7
G - 6
B - 7
E - X

...and then back to the first chord? I haven't touched the hook yet. Just let me know how close I am, especially with the chord designations.

[jlynnb1]

close.....it may look different to you, but they usually tab high strings on top low on the bottom, so here are the first few. remember, Israel LOVES to leave those E and B strings open (I do too), so he's moving shapes around that.....

E5 he throws in Emaj7 every now and then as well
0                     
0
9
9
7
0

C#min7
0
0
9
9
x
9

Dmaj7add9/13 (very questionable terminology, but that's what it amounts to, lol)
0
0
7
6
5

[jlynnb1]

by the way, that D chord only has the 13 in it if he leaves the B string open, if he's playing the Dmaj7 at the 5th fret and just leaving the E open, it's a Dmaj7add9

[trackman]

close.....it may look different to you, but they usually tab high strings on top low on the bottom, so here are the first few. remember, Israel LOVES to leave those E and B strings open (I do too), so he's moving shapes around that.....

E5 he throws in Emaj7 every now and then as well
0                     
0
9
9
7
0

C#min7
0
0
9
9
x
9

Dmaj7add9/13 (very questionable terminology, but that's what it amounts to, lol)
0
0
7
6
5

Thanks!!! I'm glad I wasn't too far off. It took alot of time but I'm sure it'll get easier (and more accurate!) with time. I'll try for the chorus next...

This is really helpful. Maybe you could throw another song to me and kind of mentor me with getting my ear. I could try to figure it out and you tell me how close I am and what I might be missing when I listen...