Settle an argument?

[paul h]

Hey guys,

I have a small disagreement with one of our guitarists about a chord during the song Roller Coaster by Luke Bryan. It's the first chord of the middle eight..."[i]She's like a song playin' over and over"[/i]...It starts just after 2m 50secs.

I've tried linking to the correct time but it doesn't seem to work

The song is capo'd on the first fret, so in terms of chord shapes...it's either a G or an Em7.

I would be very appreciative to see what the good people of BC make of it.

Thanks

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxVKTwAkv1k&t=2m50s[/media]

[Guest bassman7755]

Could be G/E (G with an open e) which is an inversion of G6.

Edited March 6, 2016 by bassman7755

[paul h]

That is a possibility!

Thanks

[TimR]

Can't watch the video at the moment but I've come across this in a lot of songs.

Sometimes it's an E with a G# bass. That can be quite difficult to hear an lead to some "discussions"

[Dan Dare]

Sounds like straight FM (1st chord) C# (2nd chord) to me.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1457259536' post='2996715']
Could be G/E (G with an open e) which is an inversion of G6.
[/quote]

...and functionally equivalent to an Em7.

[paul h]

Thanks for the help guys. Not that straightforward then.

Personally I think a straight G sounds best. It's a nice strong start to the middle 8. If I play the song on acoustic guitar I play the G. The guitarists prefer the Em7 but I think they're just following online tabs/chord charts which as we all know are dubious at best.

I've tweeted Luke Bryan...hopefully he will answer and put us right. Lol.

Edited March 6, 2016 by paul h

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1457273489' post='2996906']
Thanks for the help guys. Not that straightforward then.

Personally I think a straight G sounds best. It's a nice strong start to the middle 8. If I play the song on acoustic guitar I play the G.
[/quote]

A straight G on a solo guitar own would definitely be wrong though as the bass note is an E and there is no E in a straight G major chord. So it would really have to be Em7 or G/E (which as leftybassman pointed out basically the same chord). With guitar + bass you could just play a straight G on guitar so long as the bass is playing an E.

Edited March 6, 2016 by bassman7755

[paul h]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1457279960' post='2996982']
A straight G on a solo guitar own would definitely be wrong though as the bass note is an E and there is no E in a straight G major chord. So it would really have to be Em7 or G/E (which as leftybassman pointed out basically the same chord). With guitar + bass you could just play a straight G on guitar so long as the bass is playing an E.
[/quote]

So it's definitely an E in the bass then? (Well, F...remember the capo on the 1st)

I really do hear a G(shape). When I do this acoustically with the duo, starting the middle 8 with a G is absolutely fine...it works perfectly with the vocals and makes sense within the song. When I do it with the band, starting with the Em7 just sounds wrong to me.

However I have been wrong before

[paul h]

Just found a video of Luke Bryan playing it acoustically and it is an Em7.

I was absolutely convinced it was a G.

Oh well.

[TimR]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1457281648' post='2997007']
Just found a video of Luke Bryan playing it acoustically and it is an Em7.

I was absolutely convinced it was a G.

Oh well.


[/quote]

You can play a G on an Em.

[ColinB]

That's the same as the middle eight in Olly Murs 'Dance with me tonight'.... keyboard plays Gmajor and I play an E.