For The Good Times Intro Chords

[Craig A Davidson]

Does anybody have this progression handy for Ray Price's version?

[Clyde Mattocks]

I worked out the orchestral arrangement on C6th. Our guy sings in in D. Sounds like it starts on G walking down to Em with the string section playing the bass line going up. Then a couple of moves thru diminished chords before resolving to the tonic with a 2 (E) on top. I'll let guys more theory advanced than me name the diminished chords. I haven't found a way to get the opening descending chords going down while making the lower ascending notes going up smoothly. I just get the bass player to cover the bottom line.

Bryan Adams covers this intro as well as anyone I've heard.

[Barry Blackwood]

Then a couple of moves thru diminished chords before resolving to the tonic with a 2 (E) on top.

Clyde, I'm not aware that there was ever a diminished chord in this song.

[Clyde Mattocks]

Barry, as I said, I can't name the chords between the Em and the resolution, but I play them with pedals 6 and 7 down, which I assume is a diminished. I wish I had the capability to post sound. In the key of D, what is your interpretaion of the chord structure of the intro? Also, in the vocal, the last chord before "For the good times", I play a diminished chord with a sharp 5 on top.
No argument here with your view, I would just like to know the correct chord names.

[Russ Wever]

pedals 6 and 7 down, which
I assume is a diminished

Not always . . . often it's
a (rootless) 7b9 chord.

the last chord before "For the
good times", I play a diminished
chord with a sharp 5 on top

It's a Five 7b9 chord.

[Clyde Mattocks]

Thanks Russ, but I was wrong. It's pedals 5 & 6 instead of 6 and 7. I do realize that a given set of notes can be called different chords depending on the context. Still, I would like to know the correct names of the sequence in this particular intro. Since nobody had jumped in on Craig's original question, it piqued my interest since I do play this intro without being able to name the chords. As to the Five 7b9, name the notes top to bottom in the key of D, so I can see how it squares with what I hear. I hear Bb,E,Db,G. What am I missing?

[Russ Wever]

Clyde,

The A7b9 would have the notes A (root), C# (third),
E (fifth), G (dominant seventh) and Bb (flatted ninth).

Using the typical C6th set-up, there's not a practical
way to get all these notes, so we dispense with the
least needed ones and go the the 'meat and potatoes'
notes, ie. the ones that best express the 'character'
of the chord.

The root is often unnecessary since it is usually
played by other instruments (typically the bass).

The third is important, as it 'describes' whether
the chord is Major or Minor.

The fifth is generally less important, unless it is an
'altered' fifth, such as an Augmented or Diminished fifth.

The dominant seventh is needed, as it suggests
'tension' in the character of the chord.

The flatted ninth is needed as it further 'reinforces'
the tension that the dominant seventh presents.

Ray, your post here got me curious, so I tried
working it up to see how it might 'lay' on steel
(tab below).

~Russ

[Craig A Davidson]

Thanks Russ

[Clyde Mattocks]

Thanks Russ, there we go. The notes I named are exactly the ones you named except for the root(A), which as you point out may be ommitted. When you finger this chord on a six string guitar with the highest note at the sixth fret, it looks and sounds exactly like a diminished, hence my impression. I will now know what to call it in this usage. I don't mind displaying my ignorance if I learn something. I do appreciate it.