"Superstition"

I'm working off sheet music, which always reminds me of trying to learn Dylan songs back in the day from sheet music that started "Blowin' in the Wind" with some weird voicing of Eb.

Anyway, If you perform this song, do you actually use Em7 as the tonic chord? It doesn't really sound minor to me, despite the flatted third in the underlying riff.

I can't see SRV's hands on the YouTube videos when he plays this song, but it sounds as if he's using a E7#9.

Finally, what chords do you use for the chorus? My sheet music has B7 - C7b5 - B7 - Bb7b5 - A7.

Any alternatives out there?

I've never sat down and transcribed that song before, but I've played it at jams by ear, if that makes any sense.

Stevie Wonder originally played it in Eb, and SRV would tune his guitars down a half-step to Eb, so yes, the riff lays out on a guitar neck following the Em pentatonic forms. I usually do it in Vth position, sometimes open.

For the bridge, I usually just play B-C-B-Bb as power chords, and then land on the A7. I kind of like the sound of them as all 7th chords too, keeping the voicings tight on the B-C-B-Bb and then opening it up on the A7, e.g.,

e-----------3---
B-----------2---
G-2-3-2-1---2---
D-1-2-1-0---2---
A-2-3-2-1---0---
E----------------I have no idea if this is "correct" but it seems close and I've played it this way on several occassions and not gotten fired... I probably need to transcribe it now, but I don't think I'll be looking at any sheet music.

I think learning SRV guitar parts from sheet music is the antithesis of memorizing Beethoven symphonies by ear. I.e., It can be done, but it's probably not how either SRV or Beethoven would have recommended doing it.

Stevie Wonder originally played it in Eb, and SRV would tune his guitars down a half-step to Eb, so yes, the riff lays out on a guitar neck following the Em pentatonic forms.

I should have mentioned that, although I know the song was originally in Eb, I don't tune down, so I'm playing it in E.

Thanks!

You might want to check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVvfFtb3Y9s
Maybe it will give you some help.

You might want to check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVvfFtb3Y9s
Maybe it will give you some help.

That's pretty sweet. Learning to fingerpick is on my list but I have many more 'basic' areas to improve first...

My sheet music has B7 - C7b5 - B7 - Bb7b5 - A7.

Any alternatives out there?

Those voicings are with all the horn parts spelled out. Just play B7 - C7 - B7 - Bb7 - A7.

According to the transcription in the guitar world for june '09
intro+verse-EM7
chorus-B7-C7#11-B7-Bb9#11-A9-Baug
solo-EM7
outro-B7#9-B5-EM7