Dr Wu - Steely Dan
------------------
From the album "Katy Lied"
Transcribed/arranged by Howard Wright
Howard@jmdl.com
It's difficult to find a way to make all the chord changes of the original piano part work
smoothly on the guitar. I've written out the basic changes, with the chord names
above the tablature. In places where it's not too hard for the guitar to play some
of the piano fills and variations I've written in suggested changes. If you want
to keep things simple, you can just play the first chord written out for each chord
name and ignore the "extras".
On the original, for each chord there are often a lot of different chord voicings
used. Sometimes different voicings are used in succession to build parts of the song
up (e.g near the end of the first verse: "... the last piaster I could borrow" -
different C/D voicings are used that slowly rise in pitch). At other times, different
voicings are used to create more varied changes between chords.
The chord voicings I've written below aim for an authentic sound, and reasonably
smooth changes between shapes. You could try different voicings if you prefer a
slightly different sound, or if you find a way to play it that suits you better.
For the verses and choruses, I've just written out the chord shape once in the
tablature. Listen to the original for ideas for strumming patterns.
Intro:
------
D/E C/F G/C C/F
E-----------10-------------3-----3----3------8------------
B---7--7----10h12----------5-----3----5------8------------
G---7--7------------7------5-----4----5------9------------
D---7--7------------7h9----3-----5----3-------------------
A---7--7-------------------------3-----------8------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
Em11 D6/E
E------------------------------------7------------------
B-----8---8---8---------8---8---8-------7---------------
G-----7---7---7---------7---7---7----7------------------
D-----7---7---7---------7---7---7-----------------------
A-----7---7---7---------7---7---7-----------------------
E--0-----------------0----------------------------------
Verse 1:
--------
Em D/E C D/E C
E-------------------------------------------------------------
B---5-----------7----------5-----------7------------5---------
G---4-----------7----------5-----------7------------5---------
D---5-----------7----------5-----------7------------5---------
A---------------7----------3-----------7------------3---------
E---0---------------------------------------------------------
Katy tried, I was half way crucified, I was on
Em7 Am11 Bm7 Am7
E----------7-----------0------------------------------------------
B----------8-----------8----------7----5--------------------------
G----------7-----------7----------7----5--------------------------
D----------9-----------10---------7----5--------------------------
A----------7-----------0------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------7----5--------------------------
the other side of no tomorrow
(you could also play Am7: x 0 10 9 8 0 instead of Am11)
G Am7 Cmaj7 Bm7
E---3---------------------------------------------------
B---3-----------5-----------8-----------7---7--8--7-----
G---4-----------5-----------9-----------7---7--------7--
D---5-----------5-----------9-----------7---------------
A---5---------------------------------------------------
E---3-----------5-----------8-----------7---------------
You walked in and my life began again
(Gadd9: 357433 sounds better than G above - it's what the piano actually
plays (that mu-major chord again), but it's harder to play on the guitar!)
Am7 Em7
E---------8------------7--------------------
B---5-----8------------8--------------------
G---5-----9------------7--------------------
D---5------------------9--------------------
A---------0------------7--------------------
E---5---------------------------------------
Just when I'd spent the last piaster
C/D
E------------------------8----8--------
B------------5------8----8--------8----
G------------5------9----9----9--------
D------------5------10---10-------10---
A------------5-------------------------
E-------------------10---10------------
I could borrow
Gmaj7 Dm7 Cmaj7 Bm7
E-------------------------------------------------------
B---12------------10------------8----------------7------
G---11------------10------------9----------------7------
D---12------------10------------9----------------7------
A---10--------------------------------------------------
E-----------------10------------8----------------7------
All night long we would sing that stupid song
Am11 Em7 C Bm7 C/D
E-------------------7----------------------------------3-----------
B---3---------------8-------------------5-------7------5-----------
G---5---------------7-------------------5-------7------5-----------
D---5---------------9-------------------5-------7------0-----------
A-------------------7-------------------3--------------------------
E---5-------------------------------------------7------------------
And every word we sang I knew was true
Chorus:
-------
Here, the piano plays a different triad for each note in the melody implying
lots of subtle changes of hamony. There's really no way to do this on the
guitar, so I've just written out the basic chords.
If you're playing with a bass player or another guitarist, you could try the
more complete version: get them to play the bass notes as you try out the
pattern of triads that follows the melody. Here's the first line:
Two-guitar version:
-------------------
First guitar or bass plays bass notes: G, Bb etc. 2nd guitar plays:
Bass note: G Bb Eb
E-------------------------------------------------------------------
B---3---5---7--7--7--8--7----3---5---6--6---6---8--10--6--6--10---6-
G---4---5---7--7--7--9--7----4---5---7--7---7---8--10--7--7--10---7-
D---4---5---7--7--7--9--7----4---5---7--7---7---8--10--7--7--10---8-
A-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you with me Dr Wu? Are you really just a shadow of the man ... etc
The "one guitar" version is:
D/G Bbmaj7
E--------2------------------------------------------------
B--------3----------------------6-------------------------
G--------2----------------------7-------------------------
D-------------------------------7-------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E--------3----------------------6-------------------------
Are you with me Dr Wu? Are you really just a shadow of the
Bb/Eb Gm7 Cm7 F/C
E--------------------------------------------------------
B--6---------------3--------------8------------8---------
G--7---------------3--------------8------------8---------
D--8---------------3--------------8------------8---------
A--6-------------------------------------------8---------
E------------------3--------------8----------------------
man that I once knew? Are you crazy are you high
D/G Bm7 G/C Gmaj7
E-------------2---------------------------------------------
B-------------3------7--------------8--------------3--------
G-------------2------7--------------7--------------4--------
D--------------------7--------------9--------------4--------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
E-------------3------7--------------8--------------3--------
or just an ordinary guy? Have you done all you can do
C/F D/E C/F G/C C/F
E-----------------------------3--------3--------3--------
B---------5---------7---7-----5--------3--------5--------
G---------5---------7---7-----5--------4--------5--------
D---------5---------7---7-----3--------5--------3--------
A---------8---------7---7--------------3-----------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
Are you with me Doctor?
Sax Solo:
---------
Gmaj7 Fmaj7 Em7 D/G Cmaj7 Bm7
E--------------------------------------------------
B---12------10------8-----7-----8------7-----------
G---11------9-------7-----7-----9------7-----------
D---12------10------9-----7-----9------7-----------
A---10------8-------7-----10-----------------------
E-------------------------------8------7-----------
Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 Am7 D/G C/F
E-----------------------------5-----3---------------
B---5-----7----8--------5-----7-----5---------------
G---5-----7----9--------5-----7-----5---------------
D---5-----7----9--------5-----5-----3---------------
A---------------------------------------------------
E---5-----7----8--------5---------------------------
D/E C/F G/C C/F
E----------------3----3----3------------------
B---7--7---------5----3----5------------------
G---7--7---------5----4----5------------------
D---7--7---------3----5----3------------------
A---7--7--------------3-----------------------
E---------------------------------------------
Em11 D6/E
E------------------------------------7--------
B-----8---8---8---------8---8---8-------7-----
G-----7---7---7---------7---7---7----7--------
D-----7---7---7---------7---7---7-------------
A-----7---7---7---------7---7---7-------------
E--0-----------------0------------------------
Verse 2:
--------
(Same chords as Verse 1)
Don't seem right
I've been strung out here all night
I've been waiting for the taste you said you'd bring to me
Biscayne bay where the Cuban gentleman sleep all day
I went searching for the song you used to sing to me
Katy lies, you can see it in he her eyes
But imagine my surprise when I saw you
Chorus
------
D/G Bbmaj7
E---------2-------------------------------------------
B---------3-----------------------6-------------------
G---------2-----------------------7-------------------
D---------------------------------7-------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------
E---------3-----------------------6-------------------
Are you with me Dr Wu? Are you really just a shadow of the
Bb/Eb Gm7 Cm7 F/C
E------------------------------------------------------
B--6---------------3-------------8--------------8------
G--7---------------3-------------8--------------8------
D--8---------------3-------------8--------------8------
A--6--------------------------------------------8------
E------------------3-------------8---------------------
man that I once knew? She is lovely yes she's sly
D/G Bm7 G/C Gmaj7
E---------------2------------------------------------------
B---------------3------7-------------8-------------3-------
G---------------2------7-------------7-------------4-------
D----------------------7-------------9-------------4-------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E---------------3------7-------------8-------------3-------
and you're an ordinary guy. Has she finally got to you?
C/F D/E C/F D/E
E---------------------------------------------------------
B---------5-----------7---7---------5-----------7---7-----
G---------5-----------7---7---------5-----------7---7-----
D---------5-----------7---7---------5-----------7---7-----
A---------8-----------7---7---------8-----------7---7-----
E---------------------------------------------------------
Can you hear me doctor? Are you with me doctor?
Repeat above line to fade