Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Crowhugger
Date: 13 Mar 00 - 05:39 PM

Well, Grab,

Looking forward to comparing notes...pun intended ;-)

If it keeps just being the two of us working on this, maybe we oughta switch to e-mail. No rush though, someone else might chime in with help if we keep it in the current flow.

If I get totally frustrated I might have to pop into a store and look at the music. Not yet though, I'm having too much fun with the figuring!

Singing & dancing, CH

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Grab
Date: 13 Mar 00 - 11:41 AM

Worth a go. Nothing too bad about Bb7, just need to get your 1st finger positioned right. My great incentive for getting F and Bb sorted was Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing - that really toughens your fingers up! Now 2 bad chords to play are Db and Eb - nothing sounds quite right for them, and every combination is a bugger to play...

Anyway, for the Fdim you can definitely use xx0101, but I'm sure Maclean starts lower down the scale. Possibly not as low as bottom F, but I'm not sure. For ease of use, probably starting with 2-A might be easier. I'm pretty sure he plays one note lower down and a gap of 6 seminotes to the next note, then he goes up (and down) through 3 semitone steps.

As for whether the Bb7 and Am sound OK, I'll have a go tonight and see (probably just as well I can't bring my guitar into work, or I'd never get anything done ;-) If I get some time, I may look at doing a decent transcription - see how it goes.

Grab.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Crowhugger
Date: 12 Mar 00 - 08:37 PM

Grab,

I had a go-through myself...try replacing the Gm chords with B-flat7 (sorry, it's the barre chord from hell, but I'm sure it's the right sound, what does your ear say?) I've come across that chord in another Don MacLean song in the key of D major (Did You Know? - no, not a question, that's the name of the song) It's worse than a barred F! I just slip an open-style A7 up 1 fret, then barre the 1st fret. Sounds so easy!!!

There's another bit that doesn't seem to quite fit, to my ear anyhow: "My (Bm)future was dim, my (F#m)spirit was crushed" - I'm testing variants of Am instead of that F#m. It helps but it still isn't it.

In the instrumental break, you're right, it's an Fdim. I haven't worked at this part yet, but after finding the notes he uses to be apparently impossible to play comfortably, and I have large hands, I looked up the chord in my trusty reference book. It shows the Fdim with the E and A strings not played, then D-3rd fret; G-4th fret; B-3rd fret; E-4th fret. Like all dim.'s, you can repeat the pattern every 3 frets for different versions of the same chord.

I have not yet tested this Fdim for usability. Well, I'm sure that it's usable, but I mean to get the sound he gets. There is just enough production gimmickry on the recording that I wonder if a few notes didn't get laid down on a separate track. I also haven't tested the basic musical math that says that in this version of Fdim, both the D string and B string could be left open, though I don't expect that 2 strings sounding B (the latter case) will sound very good in that context.

Lastly, on the F#m on "free" I'm going to see what gives using Am on those twiddles (great word, by the way) like the part where "my future was dim." Those notes and chords are there SOMEwhere.

Whaddya think? Anyone else know how to get this sounding right?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Grab
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 08:28 AM

Oops! Had a quick play last night, and realised I'd made a couple of mistakes. The last chord (on "free") is actually F#m (plus twiddles). And the twiddly bit in the middle, I play 1-E, 2-A, 0-D, 2A, 0-D, 3-D, 1-G, 3-D, 2-G, 0-B, 3-B.

Grab.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 01:53 PM

thanks very much to all who helped Juck

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Crowhugger
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 01:45 PM

Grab, A quick look says you've got it. I'll go have a listen and a strum and a twiddle and see what comes up. At least Juck has somewhere to start. Maybe s/he'll find the twiddles without us!

CH

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Grab
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 08:50 AM

I play it in D - can't remember if that's the key Maclean used, but you've got a capo, right?

The intro-y bit goes D, Dmaj7, D7, Dmaj7, played with a bar at fret 5.

Then the verse goes:-

D Dmaj7 D7 Dmaj7
The spirit of Fatima still rules the earth
And she knows your future, and she knows what it's worth
Em Gm D
Sister Fatima has God-given powers.
And on 42nd St. a shop that sells flowers
Bm E A
is her palace. Come and be healed.

Repeat for the 2nd verse.

G D G D
And I came from nowhere like you and your friend. My searching and wandering went on without end. Bm F#m
My future was dim, my spirit was crushed.
Bm G A
In one sacred moment my questions were hushed.

Then a solo-y bit, which has various twiddles over a Bm chord (I tend to to a twiddly Bm7 type thing at fret 7), then another twiddly bit on what I believe is Fdim (I play 1-E, 2-A, 0-D, 2A, 0-D, 3-D, 2-G, 3-D, 2-G, 1-B, notation is fret-string, but this is probably miles out!)

Bm F#m
I'm a servant of faith in this garden of truth,
just a humble recruit of the taffeta booth.
Em Gm D
where all things are known, but few are revealed.
where sins are forgotten and sickness is healed.
Bm E Bm
For 5 dollars, the flower is free.

Then finish with a suitably twiddly bit on Bm (I think he uses Bsus2).

Hope that helps - sorry it's a bit vague. If anyone knows a better version (or has a decent transcript of the twiddly bits), I'd be interested.

Grab.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: Crowhugger
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 03:24 AM

I have the LP taped I think. I should be able to figure it out tomorrow. Simple enough chords overall I think, but not in everyday combinations.

So, Juck, you going to join? Max keeps the no-spam promise. Membership is painless AND I'll still post the results here for you even if you don't. But the personal page is a great handy gadget for Mud threads and people stuff.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sister fatima
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 01:22 AM

freshen

Subject: sister fatima
From: GUEST,Juck
Date: 07 Mar 00 - 01:01 AM

does anyone know the chords to don mcleans sister fatima?