What are you listening to right now?

Colonel Panic · 2026-04-02 06:51:23

Marvin Gaye - What's Going on;

A truly sublime talent. 42 years gone now and not forgotten.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApthDWoPMFQ

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2026-04-02 07:00:24)

johnraff · 2026-04-02 06:58:41

^Uncanny!!

I was listening to that exact same song 5 minutes ago, trying to figure out the chords on the guitar...

And of course it's just as timely now as it ever was.

Here are three more:
Stones - Gimme Shelter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeglgSWKSIY
Dylan - Masters of War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEmI_FT4YHU
Louis Armstrong - What a wonderful world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBrd_3VMC3

Colonel Panic · 2026-04-02 18:54:51

Thanks for replying John. For me, it was because it was the anniversary of his death yesterday and there's been a lot on social media about it. That track segues into the rest of the album, track by track (and a great album it is too of course).

Hope this isn't in bad taste, but when I was young and I did something that mildly annoyed my Dad, he was wont to say; "I'll shoot you!" Well, tragically as we know Marvin's father really did shoot him.

hhh · 2026-04-03 01:12:21

@johnraff, good for you for trying it by ear!

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/ma … ds-1083340

So assuming that's close to correct for a simplified version (I haven't checked), not an easy progression. E major scale: E F# G# A B C# D# E

So the chords, I7 vi7 (repeat) ii7 IV/V V13 (in E that's B - D# - F# - A# - C# - G#) iv7 v7 (I think, I don't have a keyboard or guitar in front of me, and that doesn't include the bridge and chorus sections)

https://spytunes.com/whats-going-on-chords/

johnraff · 2026-04-03 03:41:51

Colonel Panic wrote:

For me, it was because it was the anniversary of his death yesterday and there's been a lot on social media about it

Ah I wasn't aware of that. I was looking for a few songs for an event on Sunday with an anti-war theme, and that popped into my mind as one I've always liked but never played.

Marvin Gaye's death was tragic of course.

@hhh thanks for the encouragement! In fact I soon resorted to the interwebs (including ultimate-guitar) and found some chords that worked OK for me. The original is in E, but I find it easier to sing in D.

The first point was the main chord is a maj7, not minor7 that I was stuck trying to figure out.

Then there's the chord which various people describe as B13, B13sus4, AonB etc, IOW B but with a lot of notes that come from A. I'm still trying different variants which aren't too hard on accoustic guitar and still sound reasonable. B9 with an optional sus4 might work. 9th chords are easy.

There's another messy chord in the instrumental bridges, Am9 or Am7 or Cmaj7onA (have yet to try that one) followed by that same B13sus4 thing.

This is what I boiled it down to, dropping the key to D, simplifying some of the chords a bit:
(intro)
Dmaj7...

Dmaj7 Bm7
Dmaj7 Bm7
Em7 A6sus4 (or A9sus4)

("picket lines")
Em7 A6sus4 Em7 A6sus4
Em7 A6sus4
Dmaj7 Bm7 Dmaj7 Bm7

(instr)
Gm9 x8 A6sus4 x8

Have to practice some more...

And thanks for the Spytunes link - that was quite helpful.

hhh · 2026-04-03 17:05:21

@johnraff, I'm staring at my old Yamaha CS2x and the fact that the power supply was lost in a move is killing me right now, I so badly want to sound out these chords! It's a sign to finally order thing, at least.

https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/st … w82TJF.jpg