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Steely Dan Database: transcriptions of "FM"

Steely Dan Database

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Transcriptions of

FM

View the lyrics Play the MIDI file
	
  

             FM  - Steely Dan
            ------------------


                 Transcribed by Howard Wright
                 Howard@jmdl.com


This is another transcription that I did several years back.
I've gone through it again recently, tidying it up and changing
a few chord shapes here and there.


h = hammer on
b = bend
/ = slide 

INTRO:
------

E--------------------
B--2-3-2-3-2-3-2-3---     keep repeating
G--2-4-2-4-2-4-2-4---
D--------------------
A--------------------
E--------------------


The two note idea above keeps repeating as the other guitar
parts come in. One guitar plays some funky lead in the left
channel, another plays chords in the right, and underneath
everything there is a rhythm figure using 5ths. I've written 
these 5ths in the same tablature stave as the right channel
chords.


Left:
E-------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------
G------------7------------------------------------
D----------7---10-----7---------------------------
A------7h9--------10------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------

Right:
E---------------------------------9-9-----9--9--9--9--
B---------------------------------8-8-----8--8--8--8--
G---------------------------------9-9-----9--9--9--9--
D----2---------4-4---------2--------------------------
A--4-0---------2-2----4--2-0--------------------------
E--2------------------2--0----------------------------




Left:
E----------------------------------------9----------
B----------------------------------------10---------
G------------7---------------------------9----------
D----------7---10-10--9b10-7-9-----------9----------
A------7h9------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------

Right:                                   (let ring...)
E----------------------------------------9----------
B----------------------------------------10---------
G----------------------------------------9----------
D----2---------4-4----------2------------9----------
A--4-0---------2-2----4---2-0-----------------------
E--2------------------2---0-------------------------


(Two-note idea stops on last chord)


VERSE 1:
--------

It's impossible to get both the piano and guitar parts into one 
guitar part - and both are important to get the feel of the song, 
so I've transcribed them separately.

It's only for the first few lines of each verse that it causes a
problem, so for these lines I'll do the piano bit on one line
of tab (above the words), and the guitar riff that goes with it 
below the words. 

Use a palm mute for a dry, damped sound on the guitar part.
For the piano part, slide the triad shape fairly quickly up to 
get a crisp change. 

NB the actual piano right hand part sounds more like:

E--9-----9-----7-----
B--8h10--8h10--8-----
G--9-----9-----7-----

but sliding the whole triad (as below) somehow seems to work better
on the guitar.


 Em7

E-7/9---7/9---7-----------------------7/9---7/9---7------------7/9---7/9--
B-8/10--8/10--8-----------------------8/10--8/10--8------------8/10--8/10-
G-7/9---7/9---7-----------------------7/9---7/9---7------------7/9---7/9--
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------7-----------------------------------7-----------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Bury the bottle mama it's grape-fruit wine

E-------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------2------4--5----2-----4---5----------2---4-5---2--4-5--
E-------------0------2--3----0-----2---3----------0---2-3---0--2-3--






E--7--------------------------------------7/9---7/9---7-----
B--8--------------------------------------8/10--8/10--8-----
G--7--------------------------------------7/9---7/9---7-----
D-----------------------------------------------------------
A--7--------------------------------------------------7-----
E-----------------------------------------------------------

  Kick off your high heeled sneakers it's par - ty  time

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------
A--2-------------4--5--------2--------4---5-----------2----4--5--
E--0-------------2--3--------0--------2---3-----------0----2--3--





    Cmaj7  Bm7   Am7  G  F#7            B7
The girls  don't seem to care what's on


   E6/9       A13        Bmaj7  
As long as we play till dawn


Am7            Em7       Em9     C#m7-5     C7     A/B
 Nothin' but blues and Elvis and somebody else's favourite songs


Em7 (Piano/guitar riffs as before ...)
Give us some funked up music she treats you nice


Em7 (As before...)
Feed us some hungry Reggae she loves you twice


    Cmaj7  Bm7   Am7  G  F#7      B7
The girls  don't seem to care  tonight
 

   E6/9        G#7#5   C#m11  F#13
As long as the music's right


CHORUS:
-------

F#m7      F#m11   A9
  No static at all  (no static at all)

D/E C7(Viii)         B7#5
F   M  (no static at all)


lead guitar riff during B7#5 chord:

E---------------------------------------
B--15b17--15b17r15--12--15b17-----------
G---------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------



 Em7 (Back to the two riffs ):

E--7------------------------------7/9----7/9---7-------
B--8------------------------------8/10---8/10--8-------
G--7------------------------------7/9----7/9---7-------
D------------------------------------------------------
A--7-------------------------------------------7-------
E------------------------------------------------------


E----------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------
A--2--------4--5------2------4----5------------2-----4--5--
E--0--------2--3------0------2----3------------0-----2--3--



  Cmaj7  Bm7   Am7  G  F#7   Fmaj7



INSTRUMENTAL (Sax Solo):
------------------------

In the first line of chords, use either Em7 or Em9, and A13
or A7 - whatever you prefer.


Em7       A13       Em7      C7

Dmaj7  C#7#5  Cmaj7  B7#5  Em7  A7  C7  B7#5


VERSE 2:
--------

(Chords etc as for Verse 1)

Give us some funked up music she treats you nice
Feed us some hungry Reggae she loves you twice
The girls  don't seem to care tonight
As long as the mood is right


CHORUS:
-------

After the chorus it carries on to the piano/guitar riffs 
again (Em7), but keeps repeating them.



Chord Shapes:
--------------

a=10, b=11


 EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE    EADGBE    EADGBE
 8x998x     7x777x     5x555x     35543x    24232x    x24242

  Cmaj7       Bm7        Am7        G         F#7       B7


For the minor 7 shapes above, you can add the note on the 
A string if you like (e.g Bm7 = 79777x)



 EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE    EADGBE     
 07667x     5x567x     7x887x     x79787    x7577x
 
  E6/9        A13      Bmaj7       Em7       Em9



 EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE     
 x4545x     x35353     7x765x     4x455x

 C#m7-5       C7        A/B        G#7#5



 EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE    EADGBE
 x4x452     2x2222     5x5600    x7777x

 C#m11       F#m7        A9       D/E


(You could also use a simpler C#m7 shape (x46454) instead 
of C#m11)
 


 EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE
 8a8988     7x788x     1x123x     2x234x
                
   C7        B7#5       Fmaj7      F#13  



 EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE     EADGBE   
 2x2200     5x565x     axbbax     9x9aax   

 F#m11        A7        Dmaj7      C#7#5  
	
	

Authors

Person Music Lyrics
View the picture Donald Fagen Yes Yes
View the picture Walter Becker Yes Yes

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