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Green Earrings by Steely Dan

Tabs

Steely Dan - Green earrings

All chord shapes given at the end.


/ = slide
h = hammer on
p = pull off
b = bend
r = release bend
vib = vibrato


Intro
------

Riff: (played over Chord diagramA7sus4A7sus4)

E-------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------
D----------------------------7----5---------
A---7-9-10---9-7-9---7-5---7----5-------5---
E-------------------------------------8-----
then

B/E A/D   A/D G/C   B/E A/D  A/D G/C


VERSE 1:
--------

The main riff uses a "chord" made up of 3 notes, built by stacking
up two intervals of a fourth. This chord/triad is played three times
in each bar, and the shape is moved down a semitone (one fret)
for the second strum, then back up for the third. You need to play
the first two chords staccato (no sustain), but leave the third to
sustain.

This basic pattern is used throughout the verse, with the position of
the "triad of fourths" moving up and down the neck. On the original,
this part is played by guitar and doubled on the clavinet.

I've written a m11 chord (in brackets) above the tab to indicate the
overall harmony for the parts of the verse that use this "triad of
fourths", but I havn't changed the chord name for each down/up shift
of a semitone as that would have made the tab too cluttered.

Note that for the other chord changes, the chord names again reflect the
overall harmony, and not only what the rhythm guitar plays.
There's a short 5-note riff that comes in during the verse in a couple
of places. This riff is:

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

It's played by the guitar and bass - I've indicated where it comes
with [Riff] at the appropriate place in the lyrics.


Main riff:
----------

 (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E---8-7-8------8-7-8-----8-7-8------8-7-8---
B---8-7-8------8-7-8-----8-7-8------8-7-8---
G---7-6-7------7-6-7-----7-6-7------7-6-7---
D-------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------


 (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E---8-7-8--------8-7-8-------8-7-8--------8-7-8---
B---8-7-8--------8-7-8-------8-7-8--------8-7-8---
G---7-6-7--------7-6-7-------7-6-7--------7-6-7---
D-------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------

  Cold,  daring [Riff] no  flies on me


 (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E---8-7-8--------8-7-8---------8-7-8---------8-7-8---
B---8-7-8--------8-7-8---------8-7-8---------8-7-8---
G---7-6-7--------7-6-7---------7-6-7---------7-6-7---
D----------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------

 Sorry,  angel [Riff] I must take what I see


   (Chord diagramGm11Gm11)      (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E------------6-5-6----------8-7-8---------
B------------6-5-6----------8-7-8---------
G------------5-4-5----------7-6-7---------
D-----------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------

 Green Earrings    I remember


   Chord diagramGm7Gm7  Chord diagramAm7Am7 Gbsus2/Bb   Chord diagramBm7Bm7 (Chord diagramBm11Bm11)

E------6----8------9--------9---10--10-9-10---
B------6----8------9--------9---10--10-9-10---
G------5----7------8--------8---9---9--8-9----
D---------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------

 The rings of  rare    de-sign


   (Chord diagramCm11Cm11)       Chord diagramA/BA/B     Chord diagramG/AG/A

E--------11-10-11--------9------------7-------
B--------11-10-11--------10-----------8-------
G--------10-9--10--------9------------7-------
D------------------------9------------7-------
A---------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------

 I remember     that look in your eye


   (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E----------8-7-8------8-7-8-----8-7-8----
B----------8-7-8------8-7-8-----8-7-8----
G----------7-6-7------7-6-7-----7-6-7----
D----------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------

 I don't mind


B/E A/D   A/D G/C   B/E A/D  A/D G/C


VERSE 2:
--------

As above - except the rhythm guitar varies the main riff:

E--8--7--8---11-12-----8--7--8---7-8--x-x--8--7--8---11-12----8-7-8-
B--8--7--8---9--10-----8--7--8---7-8--x-x--8--7--8---9--10----8-7-8-
G--7--6--7---11-12-----7--6--7---6-7--x-x--7--6--7---11-12----7-6-7-
D-------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------

Use this idea throughout the verse, with ad lib rhythmic variations.

(The 5-note riff is played only by the bass in this verse, except for
the one right at the end, after "I don't mind", which is played by bass
and guitar)


(Chord diagramAm11Am11)
Greek medallion [Riff] sparkles when you smile

(Chord diagramAm11Am11)
Sorry angel [Riff] I get hungry like a child

   (Chord diagramGm11Gm11)    (Chord diagramAm11Am11)
Green Earrings, I remember

  Chord diagramGm7Gm7  Chord diagramAm7Am7 Gbsus2/Bb  Chord diagramBm7Bm7 (Chord diagramBm11Bm11)
The rings of  rare   design

  (Chord diagramCm11Cm11)   Chord diagramA/BA/B     Chord diagramG/AG/A
I remember that look in your eye

(Chord diagramAm11Am11)
I don't mind, I don't mind [Riff]


INSTRUMENTAL:
--------------

I've written out some of the great rhythm guitar playing separately
for this instrumental section. The line of tab above the chords is
the melody line (lead guitar), and the tab below the chords is the
rhythm guitar part. For this rhythm part, let the notes ring and
sustain as long as possible as the different chords are spelled out.

The chord names are based mainly on the clavinet part and give the
"overall" harmony. For the Chord diagramBm7Bm7 chords you could try a Chord diagramBm9Bm9 shape
(e.g 797779 or 7 9 7 7 10 9) as an alternative.


E-------------5--------------------------------5--------------
B--7------------6-5------------7-----------------6-5----------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------

  Chord diagramBm7Bm7     Chord diagramF#m9F#m9      Chord diagramBm7Bm7         Chord diagramAadd2Aadd2

E------------9-----------4-------------------9------------0---
B--------9h10---------4h5--5-------9h10p9h10--10----------0---
G-------9------------4------------9---------------------2-----
D----12------------7----------(12)--------------------2-------
A--9-------------4-------------9--------------------0---------
E-------------------------------------------------------------



E--------------------------------------------------------
B--5-------------------8-6---------4-3---4---3-------4b5-
G--------------------5-----------------5----------3------
D------------------7-------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------

 Chord diagramDm9Dm9           Chord diagramCm9Cm9     Chord diagramBbmaj7Bbmaj7 Chord diagramEbmaj7Ebmaj7  Chord diagramAadd2Aadd2

E------------12-12-----------------------------------------
B------12h13-------13-----------8---------------------0----
G------12-------------12------------------------------2----
D----15-----------------------8---8------7---5--------2----
A--12-----------------------6------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------


The last note of the lead guitar part (melody line) is bent up
very slowly.


(short drum break for a bar or so)


First Guitar Solo:
-------------------

This is another great solo by Denny Dias. To keep the runs sounding
fluid you have to use all your fingers - the fourth finger in particular
is used a lot (the first slide should be played with the 4th finger).


    Chord diagramFm9Fm9

E---12/11--8p7-10--6--8---6--6--6/86---6------------------------------
B--x--------------------9-------------8---8--6--6/8----6------------6--
G-x------------------------------------------------------7---5--7-8----
D----------------------------------------------------------8-----------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------


 Bb/Eb                Chord diagramEbm9Ebm9

E-------6-8-7-6---10-8-6---6----------------------------6/8--6------
B---7-8---------8--------8---6-8-7-6--6----------6--9-6--------x----
G----------------------------------------6--------------------------
D-------------------------------------------8-----------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------


  Ab/Db           Chord diagramE/F#E/F#

E---6/4-----------4-----------------------------4-4/6---------------
B--------4--4h5h6---4---------------------4-5-7-------7-9--9-9/11---
G----------------------6-5------3-4-6---6---------------------------
D--------------------------6----------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------


                Chord diagramF/GF/G

E--------------------------9----8/10--8--10-----8p7-------5--------
B--11/12--12-12/14--12--12------------------10-------8-------6-----
G------------------------------------------------------9-------7---
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------


E---3-------1-------3----5--
B------5-------3-------5----
G--------5-------3----------
D---------------------------
A---------------------------
E---------------------------


B/E A/D   A/D G/C   B/E A/D  A/D G/C


Second Guitar Solo:
--------------------

The 2nd guitar solo is played over the main riff (Chord diagramAm11Am11).
The rhythm guitar uses the same patterns as Verse 2.

 (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E--------------------5-------------------------------------------
B--------------------5-------------------------------------------
G----------------5---7b8r7p5------5--------------------5--------
D-----5-5--5-7-7--------------7-7---7-5h7-7p5--7-7-5-7----5-7---
A-5h7-----------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------


E----------------------------------------------
B----------------8---------------------8-8-8---
G------------7s9-------------------7s9---------
D----7-7-7-7-----------7-7-7-7-7-7-------------
A----------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------

             ^^^^^^^^^
          There are actually a lot more notes here than
          I've written out, so just repeat the note very
          fast (listen to the original to get the idea).


 (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E-------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------8-8-8-8--7-5-7p5----------------------
G-------------7s9-------------------7-5-7p5-------------
D---7-7-7-7-7--------------------------------7p5-7-7p5--
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------


 (Chord diagramAm11Am11)

E-----5--5vib----------------------------------5----5----3------
B----x--------8-7-8vib---5-5vib---------------------------------
G---x---------------------------7-5vib--------------------------
D--x-----------------------------------7--5--7---7----7----5----
A---------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------3--


After the solo, the song returns to the verse at the point where
the main riff moves down to Gm11:


   (Chord diagramGm11Gm11)    (Chord diagramAm11Am11)
Green Earrings, I remember

  Chord diagramGm7Gm7  Chord diagramAm7Am7 Gbsus2/Bb  Chord diagramBm7Bm7 (Chord diagramBm11Bm11)
The rings of  rare   design

  (Chord diagramCm11Cm11)   Chord diagramA/BA/B     Chord diagramG/AG/A
I remember that look in your eye

(Chord diagramAm11Am11)
I don't mind, I don't mind


B/E A/D   A/D G/C   B/E A/D  A/D G/C


Outtro:
--------

Repeat the main riff over an Chord diagramA augmentedA bass and fade.


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

Just to make typing easier, a=10, b=11


EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
x0778x  x79877  x57655  x35433

Chord diagramA7sus4A7sus4   B/E    A/D    G/C


EADGBE  EADGBE   EADGBE   EADGBE
3xx331  5xx553   6xx674   7xx775

 Chord diagramGm7Gm7    Chord diagramAm7Am7   Gbsus2/Bb   Chord diagramBm7Bm7

The shapes above work well for "rings of rare design" line,
but you might find them a bit awkward to play. I think they
echo the sound of the vocal harmonies nicely, but you can try
the following shapes for something a bit easier:

EADGBE  EADGBE   EADGBE   EADGBE
3x333x  5x555x   6x667x   7x777x

 Chord diagramGm7Gm7    Chord diagramAm7Am7   Gbsus2/Bb   Chord diagramBm7Bm7


EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
xx99a9  xx7787  7x7777  x9799x  x5355x  x3133x

 Chord diagramA/BA/B    Chord diagramG/AG/A    Chord diagramBm7Bm7   Chord diagramF#m9F#m9    Chord diagramDm9Dm9    Chord diagramCm9Cm9


EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
x0965x  6x776x  x6878x  x0242x  x8688x  x68766

Chord diagramAadd2Aadd2   Chord diagramBbmaj7Bbmaj7  Chord diagramEbmaj7Ebmaj7  Aadd2(II)  Chord diagramFm9Fm9   Ab/Eb

     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
     For a smoother change between these
     two chords, leave off the top note.


EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
x6466x  x46544  2x2100  3x321x

 Chord diagramEbm9Ebm9   Ab/Db   Chord diagramE/F#E/F#   Chord diagramF/GF/G

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